Fraser Wares is a medical doctor with over 35 years’ experience working in public health, including 12 years with international non-governmental organisations (Action Health 2000, ALERT, BNMT, MERLIN, MSF Belgium, SEVA Foundation USA) and working with the WHO for 16 years as Medical Officer (TB) and consultant. During his time with the WHO, Fraser worked in various field roles (predominantly in India) and at the WHO’s head quarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Fraser is an expert in drug-resistant TB and the programmatic management of DR-TB (PMDT) and supports countries with the expansion of their PMDT services and care through policy development and in-country capacity building.

Fraser has co-authored over 110 publications in scientific journals and textbooks and has also contributed to the development of a number of WHO global policy documents, including the 2006, 2008 and 2010 editions of the WHO “Guidelines for the programmatic management of drug-resistant tuberculosis”, and the 2022 Operational Handbook on the treatment of drug-resistant TB. Fraser also participated in the Task Force that developed the draft diagnostic algorithm for the use of the Xpert MTB/RIF test in persons suspected of having TB disease.

Fraser is a member of the International Union Against TB and Lung Disease (IUATLD), and was Chair of the IUATLD’s “Trans-border Migration and TB” Working Group (1999 – 2009), and Secretary (2004 – 2006) and Programme Secretary of the IUATLD’s TB Section (2006 – 2007). Fraser was previously the Chair of the South-East Asia Regional Green Light Committee (2019 – 2022) and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London, United Kingdom. Fraser was previously a member of the Technical Review Panel of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a member (2018 – 2022) and vice-chair (2028 – 2020) of the Core Group, Global Drug Resistance Initiative.

Within KNCV, Fraser works with National TB Programs and our international partners to develop and subsequently implement the frameworks and policies to expand DR-TB services and care. This work includes the introduction of new drugs and treatment regimens, training and supervision of health workers and field consultants on programmatic management of DR-TB, and planning and implementation of National TB Program activities.

Recent publications

6. Ignacio Monedero-Recuero, Medea Gegia, Douglas Fraser Wares, Sarabjit S Chadha, Fuad Mirzayev. Situational analysis of 10 countries with a high burden of drug-resistant tuberculosis 2 years post-UNHLM declaration: progress and setbacks in a changing landscape. International Journal of Infectious Diseases 2021; 108: 557–567.
7. D. Jerene, C. Muleta, A. Ahmed, T. Haile, A. Bedru, A. Gebhard, F. Wares, High rates of undiagnosed diabetes mellitus among patients with active tuberculosis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jctube.2022.100306
8. Lazarchik A, Nyaruhirira AU, Chiang C-Y, Wares F, Horsburgh Jr CR. Global availability of susceptibility testing for second line anti-tuberculosis agents. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2022; 26(6): 524-528.
9. G Teferra, K Teklemariam, DF Wares, C Negeri, A Bedru. Hearing aid support for patients with DR-TB in Ethiopia. PHA 2022; 12(2): 74-78.
10. Chest x-ray-based versus symptom-based screening in patients with diabetes mellitus in Ethiopia. Degu Jerene, Chaltu Muleta, Solomon Dressie, Abdurezak Ahmed, Getahun Tarekegn, Tewodros Haile, Ahmed Bedru, Gidado Mustapha, Agnes Gebhard, Fraser Wares. Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases (2022).

 

read all the KNCV publications