The official launch of Stop TB Brazil, Latin America's 2nd National TB Partnership, on 9 November 2004 was an impressive ceremony attended by Minister of Health Humberto Costa and Vice-Minister Jarbas Barbosa. A large number of partners were present including non-governmental organizations, private sector, faith-based organizations, TB/HIV activists, research and development networks and others. The partnership's specific aim is to aid the National TB Program in achieving the global targets for 2005 and the Millennium Development Goals for 2015. The Executive Secretary of the global Stop TB Partnership, Dr Marcos Espinal, encouraged the assembly to adopt a results-oriented approach aimed at achieving the targets, saying the partnership should strive to add measurable value to the fight against TB and not just be a gathering of friends. Brazil is currently detecting 75% of all TB cases and 83% of new smear positive cases, but information on cure rates is not disaggregated between infectious and non-infectious cases.

What Stop TB Brazil will do:

• Support the socio-political fight against TB in Brazil by mobilizing the governmental and nongovernmental sectors (NGOs, community-based organizations, patient groups, industry, private providers, multilaterals, donor agencies) in a national coordinated movement.
• Help the Brazilian NTP with the implementation of the national plan for TB control throughout the basic health care network by identifying and coordinating new stakeholder efforts in support of DOTS at local, state, and national level.
• Implement advocacy & communication campaigns at local, state, and national levels including the appointment of national and local goodwill ambassadors, mass media (radio and television), information technology (e-mailing list, website, communiqué), incorporation of patient activists [TB/HIV], vulnerable groups, community leaders, and neglected populations.
• Coordinate and undertake joint activities with the private heath network including medical societies, universities, private hospitals and clinics.
• Enhance resource mobilization efforts locally and nationally to increase funding for TB including the re-submission of a comprehensive proposal to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, strengthening the TB representation at the Country Coordinating Mechanism, and identifying local supporters.

Documents

• Fact sheet
• Annex

A Section of the delagates.

Mr Humberto Costa - Minister of Health

Dr Jarbas Barbosa - Vice Minister of Health

View the Global Stop TB Partners in Brazil.

Back to the national partnerships main page.