DOTS EXPANSION WORKING GROUP

Membership
The DEWG is composed of the representatives of the TB High Burden Countries (HBCs) and Stop TB partner institutions, including financial and technical agencies. The institutions and their representatives participating in this initiative as well as the experts invited in their personal capacity will provide the DEWG with technical advice and input on DOTS expansion and enhancement and implementation of other components and subcomponents of the Stop TB Strategy. Membership is open to any institution or agency supporting the goals of the Working Group. Additional members may be invited based on their willingness to collaborate and the potential of contribution to the initiative.

Chair
The chair serves for a period of two years renewable. A nominating committee will be set up prior to the election. Its aim is to re-examine the selection criteria and review the nominations for the chair in order to shortlist the candidates. The members of the DEWG will elect the chair following the recommendations of the committee.

The terms of reference of the DEWG chair are:

• To define, with the DEWG core team and the secretariat, the key areas of work and the direction of the DEWG.
• To coordinate the activities with the chairs of the DEWG subgroups.
• To convene the DEWG on an annual basis and chair the meeting.
• To convene and chair the teleconferences and meetings of the DEWG core team.

Secretariat
The secretariat is hosted by WHO. The secretariat is answerable to the DEWG and operates under the WHO system within the TB Strategy and Health Systems (TBS) unit of the Global Tuberculosis Programme. The responsibilities of the secretariat include:

• Organizing the DEWG and the core group meetings.
• Preparing the agenda and relevant background and working documents for these meetings in consultation with the Chair and members of the core group.
• Preparing and distributing the reports of the meetings.
• Monitoring the implementation of the recommendations.
• Managing the resources provided for the functioning of the working group.

Meetings
Meetings of the DEWG will be held at least once a year and will be convened by the chair and facilitated by the DEWG secretariat housed in WHO. Decisions will be taken, as much as possible, by consensus, otherwise by majority vote. However, scientific questions will not be decided upon by vote. If members cannot agree, the report of the meeting will reflect the diversity of views on the scientific question concerned.