The inception meeting of the 3-year interregional project COMBAT DR-TB, funded by Unitaid, took place in Mombasa (Kenya).
During the event, organized by the consortium lead KELIN on 10–12 August 2025, regional and country partners discussed work plans, budgeting, communications, reporting, and other matters.
TB Europe Coalition Executive Director Yuliia Kalancha shared with participants information on the project’s activities and expected results in the EECA countries, as well as the communication plan for the next three years. Program Manager Lesia Tonkonoh Леся Тонконог briefed consortium members on the regional advocacy approach that will be applied within the project.
The COMBAT DR-TB project is being implemented in three countries of the EECA region (Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine) and three countries of the African region (Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria). The main planned activities of the project include:
Conducting educational activities to raise community-level awareness on testing and treatment of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB). Establishing a “DR-TB Watch” system to monitor the rollout of WHO-recommended optimal DR-TB treatment regimens, and creating and updating a tracking system. Developing the steps and targets of a roadmap to improve the DR-TB cascade of care. Expanding the engagement of healthcare workers and TB survivors in annual meetings, webinars, and the documentation of key lessons learned. Improving and expanding in Ukraine the “OneImpactUkraine” digital platform, implemented TBPeopleUkraine to assess the effectiveness of DR-TB treatment and document lessons learned. Developing and presenting policy change recommendations on the use of AI-based diagnostics by civil society organizations. Documenting and disseminating lessons learned on the implementation of the WHO Multisectoral Accountability Framework to End TB (MAF-TB) in EECA and African countries for future use. Conducting a baseline MAF-TB assessment, as well as establishing or strengthening national multisectoral coordination and review mechanisms/bodies. Developing MAF-TB implementation plans and an indicator matrix for sectoral engagement in the TB response. Conducting MAF-TB reviews with decision-makers to expand urgent multisectoral actions in response to TB and ensure accountability of all relevant bodies. Adapting and piloting community data collection assessment, as well as integrating community engagement indicators into national electronic TB data systems. Organizing educational activities and a journalists’ competition in the countries to raise awareness on DR-TB.