The European Regional workshop to plan the accelerated adoption and uptake of new WHO TB Policies took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 28–30 April 2025.
The 3-day workshop, organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Program in collaboration with the WHO Regional Office for Europe, Médecins Sans Frontières / MSF, Unitaid, and KNCV, has gathered representatives from national tuberculosis programs, national reference laboratories, regional consultants, key stakeholders, technical partners, donors, and representatives of regional civil society organizations.
Participants discussed the implementation of the latest WHO policies on diagnosis, prevention, treatment of drug-resistant TB, and nutrition, as well as country preparedness for their effective rollout to strengthen TB prevention, treatment, and care systems across the region. In addition, the seminar provided a platform for cross-country exchange of experiences and showcased successful examples of innovative practices.
The TB Europe Coalition is represented at the event by Program Manager Lesіa Tonkonog. During the opening session, our colleague, together with Denis Godlevsky, TBEC Board Member and Regional Coordinator of ITPC EECA, addressed the participants on behalf of civil society and highlighted the role of communities and civil society organizations in supporting the implementation of new WHO policies in the region. “Addressing the tuberculosis challenge is impossible without a comprehensive approach and the engagement of all stakeholders — government, civil society, the private sector, and others,” the speaker emphasized.
During the panel discussion on the final
day of the European Regional Workshop, Lesіa Tonkonog noted: “When speaking about the importance of support during TB treatment,
especially for its drug-resistant forms, it's crucial to emphasize that new
treatment regimens alone do not guarantee success — much depends on the level
of support a person with TB receives. What truly matters is how committed they
are to treatment and how ready the system is to flexibly respond to their
needs, helping them navigate the entire journey from diagnosis to treatment
completion while minimizing the risk of interruption.”.
Expanding on the topic, the speaker shared with the participants of the event in Almaty a brief overview of community-led assessments conducted last year by the TB Europe Coalition:
On the implementation of the Standardized package of community-based
support services to improve TB outcomes in six countries of the EECA region
(Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Ukraine).
On procurement of medicines for shorter TB treatment regimens in four
EECA countries (Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Ukraine).
“We firmly believe that the successful rollout of new regimens will only be effective when combined with: strengthened community-level support systems, sustainable financing for a comprehensive package of care — including non-medical supportive services — and the advancement of a multi-sectoral approach (MAF-TB) at the country level,” concluded the TBEC Programme Manager.
We thank the organizers of the for event creating such a much-needed and inclusive platform where participants were able to engage in open dialogue and share not only progress, but also existing gaps and challenges — and work together to develop solutions to the issues identified!
For
reference: In 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated global policies
on TB prevention, diagnosis, nutrition, and drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB)
treatment. Among these updates are:
• New policy on TB prevention treatment among contacts of people with MDR/RR-TB;
• Concurrent initial diagnostic testing in people at risk;
• Use of targeted next-generation sequencing for drug susceptibility testing and patient management;
• Nutritional intervention for people with TB and their households;
• Several new regimens for treatment of DR-TB, including a new 6-month regimen and a range of 9-month regimens.
These updates provide
greater flexibility and choice for countries based on the local context and are
expected to improve diagnosis, reduce treatment duration, enhance patients'
quality of life, and lead to significant savings for national tuberculosis programs.
Implementing these new policies requires a serious review of global tuberculosis management approaches: countries need to update national guidelines, train healthcare workers, ensure funding, and provide access to necessary diagnostic and treatment components.
