The Stop TB Partnership is making certain that all major advocacy events, opportunities and high-level activities during 2009 include top-line messages highlighting the threat of the financial crisis and the potentially disastrous effects it could have on tuberculosis programmes around the world. The global economy will be a major focus of the meeting of the Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board and the ministerial-level discussions during the Partners’ Forum in Rio in March.
We are strengthening resources allocated to advocacy campaigns and products that will explain and stress the risks associated with cutting funding for TB. We also will reinforce strategic alliances with partners , governments and new donors to ensure funding for TB is preserved and continue to increase in the years to come in line with the needs estimated in the Global Plan to Stop TB. We know that national leadership—especially in countries with strong, emerging economies—will be crucial to sustaining finance for TB in the months and years ahead. Encouraging those countries to move forward vigorously on TB control will be an important objective for us.
The Partnership has developed an advocacy strategy for 2009 that will focus in three fronts:
–To use thematic issues (TB/HIV, MDR-TB, Research) as drivers of awareness, commitment and action from decision makers.
–To sustain and enhance the profile of TB within prevailing development and policy agendas by targeting key endemic and donor countries in light of the important role emerging economies are and will take in the current global economic crisis.
–To make strengthen strategic alliances with key partners for advocacy purposes.
How can Partners get involved ?
The Advocacy Network is being developed to expand the number of partners engaged in TB advocacy activities and will be increasing its outreach though ramped up communications to partners. We are also developing web-based tools for disseminating common messages to partners in the network.
The Partnership has just decided to create a new Advocacy Advisory Committee, whose role is to advise the Coordinating Board and Partnership Secretariat on advocacy matters including strategies and work plans. This committee is bringing together 8-10 top experts on different advocacy fronts.
The Partnership will soon be launching a web-based social networking platform for the global community engaged in the fight against TB. This platform will offer unprecedented opportunities for partners to work collaboratively on advocacy strategy and messages.
February 23, 2009 at 9:48 pm
With what is happening in my country there is actual need of advocacy and social mobilisation. This will help in that the affected and infected understand what would have happened when they are tuberculosis positive and how it is transmitted and its prevention. I have embarked on an intense social mobilisation starting with the urban community of the Bulawayo city where I stay. The response is overwhelming but the challenge is the diagnosis of doing the test just for a smear is limited also there are no TB drugs. When they have learnt in what tuberculosis is they are eager to be done tested, including those who were contacts. My comment is that I still need more of advocacy information in how to I make the leadership understand or give an ear in what in the social mobilisation and the challenges of no drugs for both diagnosis and treatment. Also to make a commitment in supporting the TB efforts that are being done. My wish is that by the end of 2009 I would have achieved the goals yes with the community I have started but with the leaders I am still trying but not geting a response yet, but I will not stop until I am heard. I have volunteered to do adovacy and social mobilisation to the community at large and have included those organisation that are doing HIV programs although they are saying they co-business is HIV only, but we have requested them in those with sings and symptoms who visit new start centers should be given information on how TB integrates to HIV, (the immune system) how it is transmitted, its prevention and that it is a curable disease not HIV/TB2.
regina
March 9, 2009 at 6:40 am
In anticipation of a drying-up of International/Foreign help in TB Control, it is highly important to have in several countries succesful mini TB Control Projects for the Poor (operated and) funded by the community itself. The experience in Jakarta in 1978-onwards showed clearly that Governmental support is not an absolute necessity to find and treat poor TB patients, otherwise doomed to aan early and miserable death. At that time Global Mobilization and Assistance were still unheard-of. As long as the human race does not lose its social trait, there will be enough sponsors to help poor TB patients find the long-awaaited cure.
Once success will be obtained, more sponsors will join in this effort. Certainly it should not and will certainly not be on a national scale, but at least, it will show that this system is feasible as ‘bridging-the-gap’measurea until more favorable times with full Governmental and Globl Support
will come.
March 9, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Gostaria de me inscrever no forum
March 10, 2009 at 5:01 am
Dear Halim,
thanks for your comments. This will be truly bringing Gandhi’s dream true that local development programmes are sustained on local resources, even financially.
Gandhi called it Gram Swarajya – that meant self-sufficiency at the local level.
However the ground reality is quite different these days – recently at a meeting, a person from people’s health movement i spoke to, told me that Indian government invests INR 50,000 (USD 1000) in TB care and control annually (as per annual budget of government of India – according to the PHM advocate).
This is indeed alarming that in these times of global economic meltdown, if foreign aid dries up then are governments of countries like India ready to support the TB control programmes?
March 19, 2009 at 12:03 am
Anexo mi firma para suscribir la DECLARACIÓN COMUNITARIA DO RÍO en el foro de socios del comité “ALTO A LA TUBERCULÓSIS”, Río 2009