On 21 September, the TB Europe Coalition (TBEC) presented the civil society perspective at the Regional strategic meeting of the Heads of National TB Caucuses and key regional stakeholders in the EECA region.
The meeting brought together heads of national TB caucuses from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, former parliamentarians from the region, representatives of the Global TB Caucus, as well as regional partners from the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the Global Fund and TBEC.
Representing TBEC, Aleksandra Vasylenko, Communications manager and MAF-TB Lead, presented key civil society priorities and possible areas for engagement with parliamentarians.
In her intervention, Aleksandra highlighted that, amid declining global funding for the TB response, it is essential to ensure that the services and functions people need are maintained within national health systems. In particular, she emphasised the importance of moving from project-based approaches towards the institutionalisation of effective services provided by civil society organisations and communities.
Key mechanisms highlighted included standardising community-based services, developing social contracting, systematically assessing the contribution of civil society organisations and communities to the national TB response, and ensuring their meaningful participation in the development of national strategic plans.
Particular attention was also given to the role of communities as a source of practical information on barriers to accessing TB diagnosis, treatment and support, and the need to make more systematic use of this evidence in policy-making.
In conclusion, TBEC proposed five areas that could be considered among the priorities of national TB caucuses:
- Keeping TB and lung health high on the parliamentary agenda and addressing these issues in engagement with governments;
- Developing the legislative framework for social contracting;
- Supporting multisectoral mechanisms involving government institutions and civil society;
- Ensuring the participation of civil society organisations and communities in strategic planning;
- Strengthening parliamentary oversight of the adoption of national strategies and commitments, their financing and effective implementation.
The meeting is expected to contribute to the identification of shared regional priorities for the coming year and corresponding areas for parliamentary engagement.
TBEC thanks the organisers for this timely and productive meeting, and the parliamentarians for their longstanding work through national TB caucuses and their openness to cooperation with civil society.
