September 2000, first issue of the Stop TB Communiqué

STOP TB COMMUNIQUE

Issue 1, September 2000

The Stop TB Communiqué is issued monthly by email to global partners in order to share information and updates on progress on the global movement to stop TB.
Please send comments and suggestions to reynoldsk@who.org. Stop TB Secretariat, WHO/CDS/STB, 20, avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. www.stoptb.org

I. Update from the Secretariat

  • Stop TB Ad Hoc Partners' Forum 11-12 July 2000.

The Stop TB Ad Hoc Partners' Forum, hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation, brought together a broad range of new and old partners, to review progress and look at next steps in the development of a governance structure and working groups. The full version of the meeting report is available from www.stoptb.org

Dr. Kochi presented a draft structure developed by a smaller group of partners at a pre-Partners Forum meeting held at the World Bank in June.

Six working groups provide a focus for coordinated action, with one focussing on DOTS expansion, two addressing new threats of HIV related TB and MDR TB, and three working on development of new tools – drugs, diagnostics and vaccines. Each of the Working Groups and the Global TB Fund/Global TB Drug Facility are expected to develop independent governance mechanisms. WHO will formulate the terms of reference of the WHO Technical Advisory Group.

Further to the discussion at the Partners Forum, the Stop TB secretariat is proceeding with the recruitment of a consultant to facilitate the development of a governance structure through an inclusive and transparent consultative process with partners. Draft recommendations are expected to be ready by early November 2000.

  • Secretariat support to the partners

In order to better support the broader partnership, Stop TB secretariat and WHO are working closely together, pooling resources and technical expertise to more effectively support the Stop TB movement.

The Stop TB secretariat aims to work closely with each of the partners in the movement, and would welcome closer collaboration with partners, through pooled resources, joint activities and staff secondments.

  • Status of Stop TB Working Groups

- DOTS Expansion: This coalition will increase resources for TB control by involving new partners, fostering and maintaining political commitment for health issues affecting the poor, and stimulating societal demand for effective TB programmes. Current challenges facing the TB community include scaling up, reaching difficult populations, and improving collaboration with governments. Plans for a Global TB Drug Facility (GDF) are moving forward as a critical component of DOTS expansion.

- TB/HIV: This group will be lead by WHO in collaboration with UNAIDS, CDC, UNICEF and the Rockefeller Foundation to develop a framework for coordinated action. Numerous opportunities for resources will be explored to scale up current efforts. The group will focus on two areas of work: (i) short-term measures to improve affordable service delivery (care) for the co-infected; (ii) longer-term analysis to improve the overall management of the dual epidemic.

- Dots-Plus (MDR-TB): This working group functions primarily through the ‘Green Light Committee’. The group will approve, conduct, and oversee pilot projects based on scientific guidelines prepared by the Scientific Committee. A brochure, DOTS-Plus and the Green Light Committee: Improving access to second-line anti-TB drugs, is in preparation.

- Global Alliance for TB Drug Development: Rapid progress has been made over the past six months. This Alliance focuses on stimulating mechanisms to develop new drugs to shorten the length of TB treatment—which could have a major impact on compliance and cure rates, decreased programme costs, and rapid expansion DOTS coverage. The alliance will be officially launched in October at the International Conference on Health Research and Development in Bangkok. /wg/new_drugs/

- Vaccine Collaborative: With financial assistance from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Sequella Global TB Foundation is fostering information-sharing and technology transfer between academia, government, and industry to accelerate the clinical testing of potential vaccines and build the intellectual groundwork for development of a universal TB vaccine to prevent adult pulmonary TB. It was suggested at the Partners Forum that the collaborative could build upon and benefit from expertise in already established field sites (e.g. Bangladesh, India, and Malawi). http://www.sequellafoundation.org/core.html

- TB Diagnostics Initiative (TBDI): New diagnostics/field-test capacities are critical for further development; and more funding is required. The TBDI (led by WHO/TDR) will accelerate technical advances to develop new products suitable for low-income countries. The TB Specimen Bank provides a unique source of clinical reference materials for use by academic and commercial test developers, and will address lack of access to reference materials. Four sites are operational at present. http://www.who.int/tdr/diseases/tb/specimen.htm

II. Partners News

  • the "Massive Effort" Against Diseases of Poverty

Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized countries concluded their Okinawa summit with new pledges to reduce the number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths by 25% in ten years and to halve the number of tuberculosis and malaria deaths. WHO is responding to the G-8 summit announcements with the launch of a "massive effort" against diseases associated with poverty that addresses the adverse effects of communicable diseases on national economies.

The starting point for the Massive Effort is to ensure that people and their households have the lifesaving tools and knowledge to protect themselves from diseases of poverty. This effort provides new opportunities for innovation in scaling up global efforts to achieve measurable results.

Stop TB will be a pathfinder in this Massive Effort, as a result of the considerable experience gained during the past decade both in the short-term needs of countries in implementing currently available strategies (DOTS) and in the long-term needs of new tools development. DOTS expansion at country level is leading efforts related to strengthening access and delivery mechanisms of needed commodities to address diseases of poverty. The crucial link between TB and HIV and developing an effective coordinated response is also an area where Stop TB is taking a leadership role in the massive effort.

In response to the growing demands generated by this "Massive Effort" to address diseases of poverty, WHO is also consolidating and strengthening their capacity to respond to the global TB epidemic. Dr. Mario Raviglione has recently been appointed as the TB coordinator, to better coordinate the expertise and resources dedicated to TB across WHO.

  • International Paediatrics Association

Following the New York Partners meeting, we had an enthusiastic response from the International Paediatric Association, who has proposed to take the lead in conducting needed studies and developing an agenda to more effectively respond to childhood tuberculosis-- in collaboration with WHO, UNICEF and IUATLD.


III. Upcoming Events

  • Massive Effort Advocacy Forum and World TB Day 2001 roundtable, Winterthur, Switzerland, 3-6 October 2000
  • Official launch of the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development as part of the International Conference on Health Research and Development, Bangkok, Thailand, 10-13 October.
  • The Stop TB DOTS expansion working group will be holding a meeting of the 22 high TB burden countries in Cairo, 20-23 November, to develop plans for DOTS expansion as a follow up to the Amsterdam Conference. It will be followed by a WHO Regional Advisers meeting.
  • Global TB Drug Facility Meeting hosted by Rockefeller Foundation, Bellagio, Italy, 27-28 November 2000.
  • World TB Day 2001 Preparations for World TB Day 2001 are underway, based on the theme "DOTS: TB cure for All". The global theme supports the ongoing IUATLD "TB treatment for all" campaign and highlights issues of access to TB treatment within a human rights framework. A one-page rationale outlining further sub-themes and messages is available on the Stop TB website.

(For a more extensive list, visit /events/archive.asp )

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Contact the Stop TB Partnership Secretariat at:
Stop TB Partnership, c/o WHO/CDS, 20, Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland
Fax: +( 41) 22 791 4886