Southern African leaders to speak out on TB, HIV and mining at AIDS 2012
As 15 Southern African heads of state prepare to sign the Declaration on TB in the Mining Sector in Maputo, Mozambique, on 18 August, leaders from the government, scientific and private sectors will gather in Washington DC next week poised to convert political momentum into action.
Their aims at AIDS 2012 will be to draw delegates’
attention to the issue – miners in Southern Africa have
some of the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB)/HIV in the world
- and get the ball rolling on a comprehensive response,
including the development of a regional action plan to implement
the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
declaration.
A satellite session on the evening of
Tuesday, 24 July will present an overview of the major
challenges and opportunities. While Africa is the only region
not on track to reach the Millennium Development Goals for TB,
an effective regional response to TB in mines is seen as a
pathfinder to turning the tide of the TB epidemic across the
continent.
Three members of the Stop TB Partnership
Coordinating Board have been the driving force behind efforts to
tackle TB in the mining industry: Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister
of Health of South Africa, Dr Mphu Ramatlapeng, Vice-Chair of
the Global Fund Board and former Minister of Health of Lesotho
and Mr Benedict Xaba, Minister of Health of Swaziland.
The three ministers raised the issue to the SADC
agenda in November 2011. This was followed in March 2012 by a
SADC stakeholders meeting in Johannesburg at which
representatives from governments, trade unions, the private
sector, nongovernmental organizations and donors provided their
input to the declaration on TB in the mining sector in
preparation for signature by SADC heads of state. The formidable
trio has spurred regional efforts to engage companies, unions
and ministries of labour, health, natural resources, mines,
justice and finance in the fight against TB.
At the
satellite session ministerial champions will be joined by
speakers from the event organizers—the International
Organization for Migration, SADC and the Stop TB
Partnership—as well as the Aurum Institute and the World
Bank. A former miner and MDR-TB survivor and a filmmaker will
provide personal insights into the issue of TB and mining.
Together they will explore approaches to building new
partnerships to address the co-epidemic, examine the economic
and business case for investing in TB and driving innovation to
reach miners, their families and communities with TB care.
In
related news, next week the Stop TB Partnership initiative TB
REACH will launch a call for proposals for its third wave of
grants. For this wave applicants will be encouraged to propose
innovative approaches to finding TB among miners and other
specifically targeted vulnerable groups: children, people living
with HIV, migrants and incarcerated persons.
TB REACH
is a pathfinder in reaching the 3 million people who fail to
access high-quality TB treatment each year. The initiative funds
innovative projects that result in early and increased detection
of TB cases and ensure timely treatment. It has so far funded 75
projects in 36 countries with the goal of finding and treating
140 000 people whose TB would otherwise have gone undetected.
Find out about the satellite session, which is open to all delegates at AIDS 2012
Stop TB Partnership
