Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has been increasing worldwide because tuberculosis bacteria are quick to develop resistance to medications. Until recently, new medications needed to replace older medications have not been readily available. The relatively high cost of new medications, moreover, makes treatment of drug-resistant patients very expensive. On the other hand, advances in diagnostic equipment have made it much easier to distinguish between patients suffering from resistant and non-resistant TB.

The mortality rate among patients treated for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is extremely high, around 50% worldwide. Before travel restrictions closed the border in 2020, the Foundation’s MDR-TB program achieved a success rate of approximately 75% and was the largest available to North Korean TB sufferers. For many North Korean MDR-TB patients, this program is the only hope for a cure.

Patients should be treated in facilities designed to prevent infection until they are not a danger to others. MDR-TB treatment, thus, benefits the patient, their families and their communities.