On 19-20 May, a regional workshop dedicated to peer-led support for people affected by TB took place in Oslo, Norway.
The event, organized by LHL International Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with the TB Europe Coalition (TBEC) and the Latvian Society against Tuberculosis (LTBAB), brought together around 60 representatives from 14 countries of the WHO European Region.
Participants engaged in an in-depth exchange of country experiences, presentations of successful practices, and discussions of barriers arising during the implementation of the peer-led approach.
Lesya Tonkonog, TBEC Programme Manager, delivered a presentation on the transformation of peer-led support from a practical intervention into a standardized community-based service. She emphasized that the sustainability of community-based services is a critical component of strengthening national TB responses. Her presentation provided an overview of the TB care cascade in the context of community and civil society engagement at different stages and highlighted the points at which non-medical support, including peer-led support, is particularly needed.
On the second day of the workshop, participants discussed cross-border support and digital innovations, TB financing in the current environment, and country best practices. Through group work, participants identified common challenges and needs for different stakeholder groups, including peer supporters, healthcare workers, civil society organizations, and government representatives. They also developed priority actions for countries where the peer-led approach is still being piloted, as well as for countries where it is already actively implemented.
A separate session involving representatives of Ministries of Health and National TB Programmes focused on concrete steps for transforming practical approaches into national policies. The workshop concluded with the development of consolidated country action plans outlining the next steps for implementing and strengthening peer-led support over the next 100 days.
