Global Call to Action for Union World Conference on Lung Health

none 15 Oct 2007 – 14:15

by mlepeska

SAVE LIVES: Transform TB prevention, Diagnostics and Treatment

The 38th Annual Union World Conference on Lung Health is being held in Cape Town on the 8th-12th of November 2007; it is the first time in its 140-year history that the conference will be held outside of Paris. This is important as Southern Africa is experiencing an extremely large and deadly TB epidemic, fuelled by an HIV hyper-endemic. The response has been inadequate, new infections and needless deaths continue unabated. To sign on to the call to delegates to adopt a Global Call for Action and Declaration on TB
please see below.

We call on the delegates to adopt A Global Call for Action and Declaration on TB as outlined:

  1. Every year TB kills more than 2 million people worldwide. In Southern Africa it is by far the greatest killer of people living with HIV
  2. In South Africa, 70 000 deaths certificates recorded TB as a cause of death in 2003.
  3. Despite declaring regional governments declaring an emergency in 2005, TB control and AIDS programmes in Southern Africa are failing to adequately deal with the twin epidemics of TB and HIV
  4. This inadequate response is no longer acceptable
  5. Current diagnostic techniques and drugs are out-of-date; we need simpler, more effective and accessible tools for testing and treating TB
  6. TB prevention, care and treatment programmes must adopt a decentralized, patient centered approach with treatment literacy, adherence support and community education as central pillars.
  7. More resources for TB research are desperately needed
  8. Provision of a decent public health system that based on the right of every person to life, dignity, health and equality is the duty of every state and the advocacy work of every HIV/TB activist.
  9. Access to decent housing, employment, social security and nutrition are indispensable to the elimination of tuberculosis.
  10. The TB crisis has caused tremendous suffering; generated confusion, fear and stigma. Protecting public health is not incompatible with promoting a human-rights approach to dealing with this seriously contagious epidemic. It requires a plan and community consultation not repressive measures against individuals.
  11. Support services for health professionals and allied workers engaged in saving the lives of people living with TB must be researched and funded immediately.
  12. This conference must serve as a platform for consensus on key issues related to the treatment, prevention and care of TB, including MDR and XDR TB. We must review and update our national TB and HIV plans and through partnerships commit the necessary resources to begin implementing the following key areas for action:
  • Improving infection control
  • Getting more people living with HIV tested for TB and people infected with TB tested for HIV
  • Integrating and decentralizing TB and HIV services
  • Preventing and treating drug resistant TB (MDR/XDR TB)

We demand vision, research, funding, action and activism on TB/HIV and the crisis in public health now!

To endorse this call please email: info@tac.org.za

Join the global TB and HIV March

November 8th 2007, 5pm at st. Georges Cathedral, Cape town

For more information contact:

Regis Mtutu +27843108614

Jo Gorton: jogorton@gmail.com, +2771 263 9973

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