In this time of economic uncertainty, which some are calling the winter of our hardship, people engaged in the fight against tuberculosis may believe we face hard choices. We can’t do everything we planned in 2009 – so what will we sacrifice? Where do we cut?
Some may be asking these questions, but I will not. I believe we should not lower our sights one bit. Rather, we should broadcast far and wide irrefutable arguments for more and better TB control now. The fight against TB is more than a humanitarian cause – it is also a smart investment, at a time when many investments seem insecure.
A little more than a year ago a World Bank research report found that countries with the world’s highest numbers of TB cases could earn significantly more than they spend on TB diagnosis and treatment if they signed onto the Stop TB Partnership’s Global Plan to Stop TB. The study, which was commissioned by the World Bank on behalf of the Stop TB Partnership and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, made abundantly clear that the economic benefits of TB control are greater than the costs. Most highly affected countries could gain nine times or more their investments in TB control.
The study was published a year ago, but we have only begun the work of persuading decision makers everywhere that fighting TB is a matter of economic survival for many, many countries.
It’s our job to convince them. If we don’t, budgets for TB control and research will almost certainly be cut.
You can bank on that.
February 12, 2009 at 4:17 pm
For us in Ethiopia, the worry is not financial. Rather it is a question of commitment and good utilization of the money we have.
February 12, 2009 at 4:53 pm
your observation should be the concern of all serious minded TB control manager. We hope the partners forum will discuss extensively the prudent management of resource at this time of economic crisis.
February 13, 2009 at 5:50 am
I fully agree that the economic benefits in TB control far outweigh the costs . The basic premise to call an organization a not-for-profit one itself is flawed. The NGOs should work for maximum gains, not in terms of wealth but in health creation. There should be a scientific model of valuing the profits accrued from the health programs which can be verified by economists and decision makers.
February 13, 2009 at 6:10 am
Thanks Marcos for your editorial on looming economic crisis. I absolutely agree with you:
“I believe we should not lower our sights one bit. Rather, we should broadcast far and wide irrefutable arguments for more and better TB control now. The fight against TB is more than a humanitarian cause – it is also a smart investment, at a time when many investments seem insecure.”
However the donors – those individuals that are taking these decisions where the money should go – those who decided to give USD 3 trillion in bank bailouts, those who decided to give USD 18 billion as holiday bonuses – need to be reached out to … they are the ones who need to listen to the voices from the most affected communities – that where should that dollar go to.
The drug-resistant strain of TB is certainly unfortunate development, but has also got the attention of the western world – this is my own individual opinion that the way MDR-TB and XDR-TB got profiled since 2006, was phenomenally greater than TB profile in the past.
The cross-cutting linkages of TB control to other development issues – need to be more highlighted, pronounced and worked upon in terms of advocacy, outreach and engagement. Those working on poverty, health systems, HIV, and other connected issues, need to say the same – TB control is a smart investment!
February 13, 2009 at 6:31 am
The comments of Dr. Espinal resonates with me, and I support his call:- we should not “lower our sights one bit”. Funding will always be a problem..but the glass is not half empty……….Let us “not go gentle into that good night”, but rather ” Rage , rage against the dying of the light” [Dylan Thomas]
February 13, 2009 at 7:09 am
I have been working in the field of tuberculosis since 1997 and I feel that the health workers should really commit themselves to Stop TB. For this, the Government needs to give incentives to the health workers and the patients for better compliance. Earnestly looking forward to a world free of TB.
February 13, 2009 at 8:35 am
“The study was published a year ago, but we have only begun the work of persuading decision makers everywhere that fighting TB is a matter of economic survival for many, many countries.
It’s our job to convince them. If we don’t, budgets for TB control and research will almost certainly be cut.”
Agreed… So what’s the plan to convince them; will the Stop TB partnership be developing an advocacy strategy for this and if so how can partners get involved in that?
February 14, 2009 at 10:01 am
Thanks Paula for making a valid point – we need to join forces to come up with a realistic plan to convince ‘them’ – undoubtedly we need to do more than we are doing presently to achieve more than we are achieving presently.
Genuine involvement of affected communities will remain a key in these advocacy efforts. And representation of people in these efforts will also be vital.
Yesterday in a small event, someone introduced me as TB advocate and another colleague of ours as AIDS activist. The wall, between TB and HIV activism, is still not gone – and needs to go – at least in high burden countries or communities that are affected by both these pandemics. This can only happen with effective partnerships…
February 18, 2009 at 9:13 am
[...] According to Dr Espinal a study has shown that countries with the world’s highest numbers of TB cases could earn significantly more than they spend on TB diagnosis and treatment if they signed onto the Global Plan to Stop TB. Read his blog here. [...]
February 18, 2009 at 1:16 pm
[...] said Dr Marcos Espinal, Executive Secretary of the Stop TB Partnership, in an editorial on the Stop TB Partners’ Forum blog. Time is running out. How can the world begin to see TB care as a smart investment? The [...]
February 23, 2009 at 10:04 pm
Thank you Dr Marcos Espinal I wish we have our contry committed to the TB program. It is unfornate for us because our country has a priority for just receiving funding and use it for something else and also employ people on both the NTP programs and the laboratories who are not committed but just need money. We need those who committed on both sides i.e. advocacy, social mobilisation and health systems strengthening. Advocacy should be priority number as this will help in detecting the disease early and also making the community at large to be knowledgeable of the disease.
May 21, 2009 at 3:01 am
It is realy worthmentining that some peoples are still fundding for TB control program and mostly TB workers are willing to realy control TB,Workers should be given extra benifits when they realy work good for TB.
May 21, 2009 at 3:05 am
The good food is also needed for TB patients while on Treatment becuse mostly TB patients are unable to purchase good food for them although we are giving free medicines to them butt food and indoor support should be given to at least nonafording TB patients.
May 21, 2009 at 3:10 am
High defaulter rate can be controled by the help of dedicated TB workers and expert traniner and observers of TB program. I have a good experience the Dr. Sebastian from Germany is an excilent worker who tought us how we can reducre the defaulter and improve the cure rate.
Thank you Dr. Sebastian of Germany
from Ilyas Gill TB Project Manager, Bethania Hospital Sialkot, Pakistan.
March 13, 2010 at 7:19 pm
I would like to request the whole world to come to Bethania Hospital Sialkot and see what we are working on TB Control in Sialkot Pakistan. We have tried our level best to involve comunity volentiers, Some of our staff is offering food for the poor admited TB patients. Defaulter rate has been reduced and we are confident that if bishops of germany KZE will continue there help to bethania hospital sialkot TB Control Program we will be able to prove our ablity to make cure rate at 85% which is the basic requirment of the WHO. I will also invite STOP TB to please come and help bethania hospital to become research center for TB becuse we have more than 20 % TB patients having history of TB, Mr. Yousaf Khayali Dots facilitator and Mr. Nadeem Amin under the managment of Ilyas Gill Manager TB Department Bethania Hospital day and night working for the sick and poor TB Patients not only Bethania Hospital but all District sialkot and srroundings. We are thankful for Mr. Parvez Manager HBL Sialkot who took initiated for providing free food to poor TB Patients, we are aslo working for the prepration of World TB Day on 24 March 2010 to provode awarenes for not only the peoples of sialkot but for the whole world We have launched TB information Center on http://www.bethania-hospital.org I would like to request the billgates and melina foundation to focuse Bethania Hospital for the research on TB. I am fully dadecated to help TB patients specialy for the poor and unerprevileged people. I would also like to help orphan and widows. any one like to donate Bethania Hospital is the properiate Missionary charitable Non profit orgnization in sialkot pakistan.