TB - Eshoo

Gordon Irlam
326 "A" St
Redwood City, CA 94063

July 9, 2000

The Honorable Anna Eshoo
698 Emerson Street
Palo Alto, CA 94301

Dear Representative Eshoo,

I am one of the founders of Postini, a 40 employee electronic messaging startup based in Redwood City. I am also one of an increasing number of people in America that have tested positive to tuberculosis (TB). I wish to alert you to the growing threat TB posses to public health, and the urgent need to take action to combat this threat worldwide.

I was fortunate. I was effectively treated through an inexpensive six month course of the drug isoniazid. The process however has made me very aware of the threat TB currently poses to public health, and especially the new threat posed by Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis worldwide (MDR TB).

Some of the key issues regarding TB and MDR TB:

TB is a global disease that does not respect national boundaries
Worldwide 8 million people develop TB each year and 2 million people are killed by TB each year
10-15 million Americans are now infected by the bacteria that causes TB
TB can be treated very inexpensively with the necessary drugs costing only $10-20 per person in the developing world
Unfortunately the lack of proper treatment for TB has lead to the development of Multi-Drug Resistant strains of TB
Attempted treatment of MDR TB costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and offers only around a 50% chance of survival
The number of cases MDR TB is not well established but worldwide is now certainly in the many millions
MDR TB is shaping up to be a global public health emergency
Urgent action is needed to ensure TB is treated properly so as to prevent the worldwide spread of MDR TB

As a result of the serious threat posed by MDR TB, I ask for you to consider taking the following steps:

Sign on to the letter initiated by Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Connie Morella (R-MD) to President Clinton urging the Administration to support $100m for global TB prevention in advance of the upcoming G-8 summit. Arlan Fuller in Brown's office, and Lisa Boepple in Morella's office are coordinating this effort. Action is needed on this immediately, since I believe they are aiming to send this letter July 12th.
Co-sponsor The STOP TB Now Act (HR 4057) introduced by Brown and Morella, which seeks to provide $100m in funding in 2001 to help combat TB and MDR TB worldwide. This bill currently has 84 co-sponsors.
Contact Foreign Operations Committee of Appropriations Chairman Sonny Callahan (R-AL) and subcommittee ranking Democrat Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) urging them to support the appropriation of the necessary $100 million for global TB and MDR TB control in 2001.

Thanking you for your consideration of these matters.

Sincerely yours,

Gordon Irlam
Founder,
Postini Inc.