The five tuberculosis (TB) “Key Asks” announced by stakeholders and communities are priority actions that have been developed through a combined extensive engagement with the global TB stakeholders and communities, including the United Nations (UN) agencies, high-burden TB countries, donors, civil society, people affected by TB, and the private sector. It is crucial that the aspiration of the TB Stakeholders and Communities are considered to inform the content of the Zero Draft and the subsequent final Political Declaration that will be endorsed at the UN High-level Meeting (UNHLM) on September 26th to achieve the goal of ending TB by 2030.
Through the Sustainable Development Goals and their endorsement of the World Health Organisation (WHO) End TB Strategy, UN member states have committed to ending the TB epidemic by 2030. However, at the current rate of progress, this will not be achieved for at least another 150 years. Without immediate concrete action, an estimated 28 million people will die from TB by 2030, at a global economic cost of USD$1 trillion. The case for ending the TB epidemic is clear. Every dollar spent on TB could return benefits to society worth US$43.
The following priority actions must be taken by Heads of State and Governments to accelerate progress and achieve the goal of ending TB:
- Reach all people by closing the gaps in TB diagnosis, treatment, and prevention
- Transform the TB response to be equitable, rights-based, and people-centered
- Accelerate development of essential new tools to end TB
- Invest the funds necessary to end TB
- Commit to decisive and accountable global leadership, including regular UN reporting and review
Source: http://stoptb.org
