HILDEN, Germany & GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today applauded a commitment by world leaders attending the first-ever high-level United Nations meeting on tuberculosis (TB) to mobilize $13 billion a year by 2022 to implement prevention and care for TB, the world’s most deadly infectious disease. The heads of state meeting at the United Nations General Assembly pledged to ensure that 40 million people who are diagnosed with tuberculosis receive the care they need by the end of 2022 and agreed to provide preventive testing and treatment to 30 million people.

Prevention is essential to successful TB control because tuberculosis often infects the body, then remains inactive and undetected until – if untreated – it can surface as the active, contagious disease threatening the lungs and sometimes other organs. An estimated one-third of the world’s population has latent tuberculosis infection, and up to 10 percent of infected persons will progress to active TB if untreated. Screening of at-risk population groups and treatment for those infected can prevent latent TB from progressing to active disease. QIAGEN’s QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus), the most accurate test available for latent TB infection, is now being implemented worldwide in tuberculosis control programs.

“We are pleased to see this bold commitment by world leaders to step up the urgent fight against tuberculosis – and the unprecedented recognition and funding for TB prevention. This demonstration of political will is critical if we are to eradicate the world’s deadliest infectious disease,” said Dr. Masae Kawamura, M.D., Senior Director, TB Medical and Scientific Affairs, at QIAGEN, who attended the UN meeting on tuberculosis. “QIAGEN continues to be a committed partner with the World Health Organization, public health agencies and private organizations around the world to provide the most accurate, cost-effective screening available for latent TB. As this new commitment takes hold, we expect screening with QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus to play a major role in preventing disease and saving lives.”