TB advocates from across Europe meet to raise the issue of TB at the regional Union conference

Last week, TB advocates from across Europe and Central Asia, ranging from Belgium to Kazakhstan, gathered in London for the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease conference to make their voices heard and to exchange experiences and best practices.

The conference was kick-started when TB Action Group (TBAG) members, advocates, colleagues and friends held a short demonstration during lunch time on Thursday, 5^th July to ensure the voices of TB patients were heard by decision makers and TB programme implementers. Armed with placards covered in sports phrases, advocates called on decision makers not to “throw in the towel” and reminded them to “keep your eye on the ball”.

Later that day, TB advocates, clinicians, implementers met for a symposium aimed at discussing how civil society organisations can contribute to advocacy and TB control in the European Region. The session included a range of speakers from both high and low burden countries:

• Natalie Winter, a TB Action Group (TBAG) advocate in the UK, spoke about her personal experience with TB and described how it took five years before she was diagnosed with renal TB. Since then, she has become an active member of TBAG that provides peer support for those suffering from TB in the UK, as well as educating decision makers and the media about issues related to TB.

• Annastasia Person from Estonia spoke about the work of the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV and its involvement in the TUBIDU project. Symposium participants heard about the significant association TB has with drug users and people living with HIV, which require an integrated response.

• Elias Phiri from TB Alert spoke about their ‘The Truth About TB’ programme, which aims to improve TB services and delivery by working with community-based organisations that have access to high risk communities.

• Cristina Enache from the Romanian Angel Appeal, a CSO implementing Global Fund grants in Romania, gave an overview of her organisation’s activities, which included procurement of second-line MDR-TB drugs.

• Joris Van de Putte from the Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI) outlined the need for new TB vaccines and what work needs to be done at the European Union level.

• Nonna Turusbekova, a TB consultant, described her experience being part of WHO reviews of national TB programmes. The WHO reviews found that programmes had low involvement of ex-TB patients and a complex problem of stigma. In addition, few programmes were using the Patients’ Charter.

Other speakers included Global Health Advocates France, KNCV and EATG.

TB Europe Coalition

http://www.tbcoalition.eu/

http://www.tbcoalition.eu/2012/07/09/cso-symposium-and-mini-demonstration-union-meeting-in-london/