The South African government has invited experts from the World Health Organization to meet next week in a bid to formulate a plan to combat the rise in multidrug resistant and extensively multidrug resistant tuberculosis. The move comes amid allegations that the government has failed to act promptly.

South Africa's Medical Research Council, its National Health Department, and WHO say that none of the drugs currently available in South Africa for first or second line treatment of tuberculosis is effective against the extensively resistant variant.

The government's response follows an emergency meeting held last month in Johannesburg that was attended by representatives from the …