TB33% campaign launched
Africa Coalition on Tuberculosis campaign to increase Global Fund investment in the fight against TB
29 October 2020, Geneva, Switzerland - The Africa Coalition on Tuberculosis (ACT) launched a ground-breaking regional platform for a Sustainable Communications Response on TB - “SCORE TB” which aims to ensure continued efforts to maintain TB high on the political agenda of African political decision-makers, media and other key stakeholders at the country and regional level.
The launch took place during the three-day (27-29 October 2020) event “Achieving the Africa TB UNHLM targets by enhancing CSOs and Communities engagement in the Africa Region,” organized by ACT, supported by the Stop TB Partnership and in collaboration with regional partners DRAF TB, WACI Health, EANNASO and country partners.
The new platform kicked off its first campaign, “TB33%” that aims to engage people affected by TB, civil society, communities, technical partners, and donors throughout the African region to call on an increase of the Global Fund financing of the TB response to reach 33%, emphasizing the high mortality rates, need for rapid action and ambitious targets to be achieved by the end of 2022 and the limited funding available.
“We need 33% as the current 18% is not enough for the
world to win the fight against TB and reach the agreed TB
targets. Among the three infectious disease responses funded by
the Global Fund, TB is responsible for most deaths, but receives
least funds. It is time to address this,” said Austin
Obiefuna, Executive Director for Afro Global Alliance, Ghana,
and Stop TB Partnership Board Member. “This campaign is
timely and much needed for TB if we want to be serious about
ending TB,” said Bertrand Kampoer, from Dynamique de
la Réponse d’Afrique Francophone sur la Tuberculose
(DRAF TB).
Currently, the Global Fund to fight AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria allocates 18% of its global funding to
the fight against TB, which for the next funding cycle
represents an average of USD 700 million/year, a
disproportionate contribution to the TB response. TB is
responsible for 1.4 million deaths every year; the most
significant mortality rate compared to any other infectious
disease.
“We need to end TB by 2030, and
we need to diagnose and treat 40 million people with TB by the
end of 2022. With less than half of the money needed, there is
no way we can achieve these goals in time! This effort sparked
by the amazing network of CSOs, communities, and networks of
people affected by TB in the African Region is absolutely
remarkable. We in the Stop TB Partnership applaud this
initiative and will support it, especially as we enter into our
consultation for the Global Fund Strategy 2023-2030”, said
Dr. Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of the Stop TB
Partnership.
Watch the launch of the platform for a Sustainable Communications Response on TB.
Source:
Stop TB Partnership
