Yes! We can end TB

Every year, millions of people with TB are not diagnosed resulting in millions of preventable deaths. While TB tests exist, they are currently not fit-for-purpose nor available where they are needed the most. If the world is to meet the WHO goal of reducing TB deaths by 90% by 2030, we need simple, rapid tests that work for everyone, everywhere.

At the UN High Level Meeting on TB set to take place in September, the world will be taking stock of progress towards the goals in the 2018 Political Declaration and work towards identifying gaps and solutions to accelerate progress towards the ending TB epidemic by 2030. We believe that enabling primary care and community level testing, moving from traditional sputum-based testing to novel diagnostic platforms and simplifying and speeding-up drug resistant testing, will contribute significantly to achieving the end TB goals.

Global TB Caucus Asia and the Pacific Summit
20–22 March 2023, New Delhi, India

The Global TB Caucus (GTBC) Asia and the Pacific Summit was held on 20–22 March 2023 in New Delhi ahead of World TB Day. The Summit highlighted the role of parliamentarians in ensuring accountability around regional and global TB targets and fostering commitment towards a plan of action for a resilient political TB response.

Morten Ruhwald, Director, Tuberculosis Programme, FIND presented the promising advances made in TB diagnosis in the last few years and the pipeline of innovative TB diagnostic technologies including community-based tests.

The Summit culminated in the adoption of the Asia Pacific Regional Declaration that committed to a plan of action aimed at fostering a resilient political response in the Asia Pacific and sustainable political support for TB elimination at the national level.

All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Tuberculosis
World TB Day Reception
22 March 2023, London, United Kingdom

FIND attended the annual APPG TB World TB Day reception at the House of Parliament in London. The report “Ready Next Time – Beating TB today and preparing for pandemics tomorrow” was launched at this event. report maps the intersection between efforts to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR) systems and efforts end TB. Several FIND colleagues including Emma Hannay, Dan Bausch and Anita Suresh contributed to the report.

One World TB Summit
23 March 30 2023, Varanasi, India

FIND in its capacity as Secretariat of the Stop TB Partnership’s New Diagnostics Working Group (NDWG) attended the Board meeting and presented TB diagnostics priorities as part of the New Tools Working Groups.