Goa to Munich: Growing call for 100-100-100 to end TB and end AIDS before 2030
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Shobha Shukla, Bobby Ramakant–CNS
Contd from previous issue
We appeal to the world leaders who will meet at the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to scale up response to drug-resistant TB.
- Following up with those who are cured of TB or who have completed the treatment with regular screening as per the guidelines.
- Tapping into extra budgetary resources to fill the funding gap so that the response to find all TB, treat all of them and prevent transmission is fully funded, along with TB R&D for new safe and effective tools.
Nurul Islam Hasib, President of Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh and senior journalist with Dhaka Tribune shared the following recommendations of Goa Declaration in AIDS 2024 Affiliated Independent Event on TB and HIV:
- People-centric, rights-based and gender transformative pathways are a bedrock to rollout TB related screening and diagnostic tools, treatments, social and health support, and prevention services.
- Ending all forms of TB stigma and discrimination is vital as it is a major access barrier and violates human rights. TB stigma, intersectional stigma (stigma due to TB and a range of other issues, such as, HIV, gender diverse communities, work (such as sex work), prison inmates, among others), and self-stigma (internalised stigma) and all forms of discrimination must end.
- Engaging journalists and other media actors in TB responses as equal partners is important.
-Communication between media, TB scientists, researchers, survivors, advocates, programme managers at all levels, other stakeholders will help to keep them informed, involved, and supported. Media should help increase accountability and transparency in TB responses on the ground. Simplifying TB science and TB response in a language and manner which connects with masses is important.
Kalpana Acharya, Editor-in-Chief of Health TV Online Nepal and former President of Nepal Health Journalists Association shared the following recommendations of Goa Declaration in AIDS 2024 Affiliated Independent Event on TB and HIV:
- Preventing all further transmission of TB. TB treatment is prevention as people with TB of the lungs who are on effective treatment, soon become non-infectious. It is also equally important to make the entire range of TB prevention methods accessible to people: such as, TB Preventive Therapy (TPT), tobacco cessation, quitting alcohol or other addictions, preventing and controlling NCDs, nutrition, infection control, among others.
- Making TB Preventive Therapy available for all eligible people (such as, contacts, people living with HIV, among others) in whom active TB disease is bacteriologically ruled out. Leveraging contact tracing through intensive screening among household and other close contacts of bacteriologically confirmed cases is vital. TPT must be made available along with full support including counselling to complete the therapy.
- Ensuring infection control practices in healthcare settings, communities, and homes are fully implemented.
Zarina Geloo, Editor of MESICA (Media Science Café) and senior journalist from Zambia shared the following recommendations of Goa Declaration, in AIDS 2024 Affiliated Independent Event on TB and HIV:
- Reducing delays in translating scientific achievements into public health gains. Roll-out of the existing latest TB screening and diagnostic technologies, latest treatment regimens, TB prevention methods, among others must reach everyone in need, everywhere – without delays. Eliminating delays in converting scientific break- throughs (such as point- of-care molecular diagnostics, ultraportable x-rays, new treatment regimens) into public health gains is vital. It will also create a pathway for rollout of upcoming health technologies (such as new TB vaccines if found safe and effective).
-Supporting Govts to roll-out latest treatment regimens, such as 1 month therapy for TPT, 4 months for drug-susceptible TB, and 6 months for drug-resistant TB.
Contd from previous issue
We appeal to the world leaders who will meet at the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) to scale up response to drug-resistant TB.
- Following up with those who are cured of TB or who have completed the treatment with regular screening as per the guidelines.
- Tapping into extra budgetary resources to fill the funding gap so that the response to find all TB, treat all of them and prevent transmission is fully funded, along with TB R&D for new safe and effective tools.
Nurul Islam Hasib, President of Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Bangladesh and senior journalist with Dhaka Tribune shared the following recommendations of Goa Declaration in AIDS 2024 Affiliated Independent Event on TB and HIV:
- People-centric, rights-based and gender transformative pathways are a bedrock to rollout TB related screening and diagnostic tools, treatments, social and health support, and prevention services.
- Ending all forms of TB stigma and discrimination is vital as it is a major access barrier and violates human rights. TB stigma, intersectional stigma (stigma due to TB and a range of other issues, such as, HIV, gender diverse communities, work (such as sex work), prison inmates, among others), and self-stigma (internalised stigma) and all forms of discrimination must end.
- Engaging journalists and other media actors in TB responses as equal partners is important.
-Communication between media, TB scientists, researchers, survivors, advocates, programme managers at all levels, other stakeholders will help to keep them informed, involved, and supported. Media should help increase accountability and transparency in TB responses on the ground. Simplifying TB science and TB response in a language and manner which connects with masses is important.
Kalpana Acharya, Editor-in-Chief of Health TV Online Nepal and former President of Nepal Health Journalists Association shared the following recommendations of Goa Declaration in AIDS 2024 Affiliated Independent Event on TB and HIV:
- Preventing all further transmission of TB. TB treatment is prevention as people with TB of the lungs who are on effective treatment, soon become non-infectious. It is also equally important to make the entire range of TB prevention methods accessible to people: such as, TB Preventive Therapy (TPT), tobacco cessation, quitting alcohol or other addictions, preventing and controlling NCDs, nutrition, infection control, among others.
- Making TB Preventive Therapy available for all eligible people (such as, contacts, people living with HIV, among others) in whom active TB disease is bacteriologically ruled out. Leveraging contact tracing through intensive screening among household and other close contacts of bacteriologically confirmed cases is vital. TPT must be made available along with full support including counselling to complete the therapy.
- Ensuring infection control practices in healthcare settings, communities, and homes are fully implemented.
Zarina Geloo, Editor of MESICA (Media Science Café) and senior journalist from Zambia shared the following recommendations of Goa Declaration, in AIDS 2024 Affiliated Independent Event on TB and HIV:
- Reducing delays in translating scientific achievements into public health gains. Roll-out of the existing latest TB screening and diagnostic technologies, latest treatment regimens, TB prevention methods, among others must reach everyone in need, everywhere – without delays. Eliminating delays in converting scientific break- throughs (such as point- of-care molecular diagnostics, ultraportable x-rays, new treatment regimens) into public health gains is vital. It will also create a pathway for rollout of upcoming health technologies (such as new TB vaccines if found safe and effective).
-Supporting Govts to roll-out latest treatment regimens, such as 1 month therapy for TPT, 4 months for drug-susceptible TB, and 6 months for drug-resistant TB.