GHA strives to fill the gap in TB advocacy at the European Union level. Through the European Parliament Working Group, GHA organizes regular roundtables, conferences and debates at the European Parliament on the topic of TB, to raise awareness among TB policy-makers and to make sure that research, development and health policies take TB into greater consideration in Europe and worldwide. GHA, together with partners in the field, also organizes field visits for Members of the European Parliament, which gives them first-hand experience of the importance of the TB issue and projects on the ground.
The TB Europe Coalition conducts country visits in the Region to meet with CSOs and build their advocacy capacity when the context is appropriate. It strives to raise awareness on the importance of civil society and advocacy in TB care in the Region.
Continuously raising awareness on TB directly increases the attention and hence the political will to address the disease. In turn, this can generate greater financial commitment from major donors to the fight against TB. At a time when most international donors are withdrawing from middle-income countries, it is important that domestic governments take over and address the TB problem in their countries and regionally. However, they need to be aware of the TB threat.
Advocacy to increase political will and financial means to fight TB is crucial if this disease is to be eradicated.Advocacy at the European Union level, for instance, has generated greater financial commitment to TB in the past five years, especially in research, development, health policies and budgets. After numerous roundtables organized in the European Parliament on TB and MDR-TB, hosted by the European Parliament Working Group on Poverty-Related Diseases, 14 Members of the European Parliament launched a Written Declaration on the threat of drug-resistant TB to the Region. Two hundred Members of the European Parliament signed the declaration within 3 months of its launch.
This declaration called on the European Union to increase its political and financial commitment to the GFATM, the Consolidated Action Plan, and to address the TB crisis in middle-income countries of the Region.
Read the report to know more best practices in M/XDR-TB prevention, control and care http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/216650/Best-practices-in-prevention,control-and-care-for-drugresistant-tuberculosis-Eng.pdf
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