“Ending tuberculosis – the role of Europe in responding to growing challenges” was the theme of the Roundtable held in the European Parliament on the occasion of World TB Day.
During an event held on March 22, 2023,
in Brussels, Belgium, our colleague Kira Grozava appealed to members of the
European Parliament to further intensify their assistance on a high political
level due to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the full-scale war in
Ukraine, and appeal to the key international organisations to take the
necessary and urgent measures to protect the rights of the Ukrainian people,
including people with tuberculosis (TB) and the whole health care system of the
country, being severely affected by the ongoing war. TBEC expects that
parliamentarians will support this initiative and delivered a prepared draft of
such an appeal to the hosts of the Round Table.
A powerful statement on situation with TB in Ukraine was delivered by Andriy Klepikov, Head of the TBEC Oversight Committee and Executive Director of the partner organization Alliance for Public Health Alliance. The speaker emphasized the crucial role and the achievements of civil society organizations in fightings against TB in conditions of war. In particular, it was noted that the detection of TB among representatives of key populations increased by 2-3 times in regions with a large influx of internally displaced persons in Ukraine, which is explained both by the intensification of activities in this direction and the increased risk of TB transmission in conditions of war.
We express our gratefulnsess to Alesya Matusevich, member of the TBEC Board and coordinator for the EECA region from the Global TB Caucus, for moderating the event, as to the organisers from Friends of the Global Fund Europe for running this important initiative to draw the attention of parliamentarians to the problem of TB.
Yes! We can end TB!
