TB in Eastern Europe and Central Asia Project on Strengthening Health Systems for Effective TB and DR-TB Control
TB in Eastern Europe and Central Asia Project on Strengthening Health Systems for Effective TB and DR-TB Control
Regional project: TB in Eastern Europe and Central Asia Project on Strengthening Health Systems for Effective TB and DR-TB Control.
The Alliance for Public Health, as a member of the Steering Committee of the TB Europe Coalition, in partnership with the WHO Regional Office for Europe and PAS Center, is participating in an advocacy project for healthcare system strengthening to ensure efficient control over TB and MDR TB.
Project implementation is from January 2016 to December 2018 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA). The focus is on reforming tuberculosis treatment and prevention in 11 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
The project has ambitious objectives:
- Increase political commitment to end TB through regional cooperation and evidence sharing for effective and sustainable transformation of heath systems
- Support countries in implementing effective, efficient and financially sustainable systems of medical aid delivery to TB patients
The Alliance for Public Health, in partnership with the TB Europe Coalition will ensure involvement of civil society organizations into advocacy activities to move to a client-centered model of medical aid delivery to TB patients, and facilitate sharing best advocacy practices in the EECA region to support sustainable high-level advocacy, ensuring an effective response to TB.
Center For Health Policies and Studies
WHO Europe webpage on “Health system response to tuberculosis”.
TB-REP partners joined efforts for TB advocacy
The regional meeting of TB-REP project partners joined their efforts to support patient-oriented models of TB care
On 14-16 September 2016, Kyiv hosted the first regional meeting of the advocacy partners within the TB in Eastern Europe and Central Asia Project on Strengthening Health Systems for Effective TB and DR-TB Control (TB-REP). At the opening ceremony of the event, organized by Alliance jointly with TB Europe Coalition, the participants were welcomed by Andriy Klepikov, Executive director of Alliance for Public Health; Oksana Syvak, the Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine; George Sakvarelidze, Senior Fund Portfolio Manager, EECA Team, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Natalia Nizova, Director of the Ukrainian Center for Socially Dangerous Disease Control of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine; Stela Bivol, Director of Programs, Center for Health Policies and Studies (PAS Center); Martin van den Boom, Technical Officer, Joint TB, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis Program, WHO Regional Office for Europe and Fanny Voitzwinkler, Coordinator of the TB Europe Coalition. During the press briefing held on the last day of the meeting, our honored guests were joined by Olha Bohomolets, Member of the Ukrainian Parliament and Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Health and Baroness Alison Suttie, life peer in the UK House of Lords, member of the Global TB Caucus.
One of the most important outcomes of the meeting was coordination of the efforts of TB-REP project partners, in particular the WHO Regional Office for Europe, PAS Center, which is the primary recipient of the GF funding for TB-REP, TB Europe Coalition, Alliance for Public Health, civil society organizations in EECA countries and patients’ communities. Understanding the roles and the value of each of the partners and their complementarity defined the perspectives and the opportunities for cooperation in the grass-root and high-level advocacy to support patient-oriented models of TB care.
A detailed review of the TB-REP project (with Alliance being partner of the project on behalf of TB Europe Coalition) was made during the meeting. The participants looked at the objectives of project partners and various aspects of project implementation, learned about the history of TB Europe Coalition, its goals and successes at the various levels of advocacy activities and also became aware of the role of ambulatory care in achieving the best results in TB treatment in the WHO European region. Following the presentations, the participants discussed the issue of development of a WHO Blueprint, which, reflecting the unique nature of each of the countries of the region is at the same time, a unique tool and a guide to TB care system reforms.
Besides, the advocacy partners made a detailed analysis of the results of situation assessment in terms of transition to ambulatory TB care models, the draft advocacy strategies developed by partners in their countries, effective advocacy messages, the questions of budget advocacy as well as building coalitions, scaling up partnerships and involving patients and communities in the advocacy activities. In conclusion, participants of the meeting learned about the activities of the Global TB Caucus and Eurasian Parliamentary Groups as well as about the basics of interaction with Members of Parliaments and decision makers.
Regional partners of the TB-REP projects pointed out that participation in this meeting allowed them to acquire knowledge and skills required to implement effective advocacy activities. They underlined the significance of getting acquainted with the concept of the WHO Blueprint to guide the TB care reforms, approaches to budget advocacy and to develop skills in working with Members of Parliaments and the Global TB Caucus, which brings together Parliamentarians from all over the world to eliminate TB.
Contact person: Yuliya Chorna