Executive Board supports WHO progress report on the End TB Strategy and recommends adoption of a Global Strategy for TB Research and Innovation

“The substantive discussion on the End TB Strategy progress report and resounding support for the draft strategy for TB research and innovation during the Executive Board signals strong commitment from countries and partners to accelerate the TB response and break the trajectory of the epidemic,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global TB Programme. “The proposed Global Strategy on TB Research and Innovation will be critical  to create an enabling environment for research, optimize global data sharing and analysis, increase investments and ensure equitable access to the benefits of research and innovation.”

The End TB Strategy progress report requested by the World Health Assembly outlines the status of the global TB epidemic and actions taken to meet 2030 targets as well as additional global targets for 2018-2022 set by the UN General Assembly in the political declaration of the first UN high-level meeting on TB in 2018. These actions include work in implementing the principles, pillars and components of the End TB Strategy and steps on strengthening multisectoral accountability. The report highlights that the world is still not yet on track to end the epidemic by 2030 and investments are insufficient for necessary acceleration. At the same time, progress in some regions and high burden countries is promising. The progress report by the UN Secretary-General due later in 2020 to the UN General Assembly will be the next and more comprehensive assessment of progress to end TB, and will include recommendations for remedial actions needed. The World Health Organization is supporting the UN Secretary-General in preparing this report.

The draft global strategy for TB research and innovation was developed following a request by the Seventy-first World Health Assembly in 2018. The development of the draft strategy was informed by several consultations. The WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for TB, the WHO Global TB Research Task Force, representatives of civil society and affected communities, research funding institutions, and other TB research and innovation stakeholders contributed significantly to the drafting of the strategy. The Executive Board, reviewed the report on the draft global strategy for TB research and innovation, and recommended to the Seventy-third World Health Assembly the adoption of the proposed Global Strategy.

Source: WHO