NEW YORK: At the first-ever high level United Nations General Assembly meeting on tuberculosis held on Wednesday, world leaders pledged to increase overall global investments for ending TB at least $13 billion annually by 2022 and seek $2 billion for closing the estimated $1.3 billion annual funding gap in tuberculosis research.

They committed to mobilise “sufficient and sustainable” financing from all sources for universal access to quality prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. They also reaffirmed their commitment to end global tuberculosis epidemic by 2030.

The meeting attended by 15 heads of state was convened in the backdrop of extremely slow global progress on the fight against TB. Declared a health emergency 25 years ago by the WHO, the disease continues to be one of the top ten causes of death.

Through the declaration, titled “United to End Tuberculosis: An Urgent Global Response to a Global Epidemic”, 193 member states recognised the enormity of the challenge posed by TB and how it disproportionately affects developing regions and countries.

They also acknowledged their failure in addressing the challenge despite making multiple commitments over the years.

They pledged to provide leadership, acknowledging that multidrug-resistant strains can reverse gains made in combating the disease. They also committed to promote access to affordable medicines and provide 40 million people access to diagnosis and treatment by 2022.

Leaders committed to fostering coordination in all health programmes especially those related to TB and HIV given the strong association the two diseases have with each other and ensure universal access to integrated prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.

Leaders requested the Secretary-General, with support from the WHO, provide a progress report in 2020 on global and national progress to achieve agreed upon TB goals within the context of achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Describing the global situation, President of the General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, the first woman from Latin America and the Caribbean to preside over the UN General Assembly in 73 years, said: “Tuberculosis claimed 1.6 million lives last year, despite it being a preventable, treatable and curable disease. Aside from the moral failings of that mortality rate, the economic losses are staggering; the TB cost to the global economy could hit $1 trillion by 2030. By investing now, lives can be saved and economic losses can be eliminated.” She called for scaling up funding and research for tuberculosis and noted that a gap of $5 billion existed this year.

Pakistan represented by FM

Countries at this particular gathering were largely represented either by their heads or health ministers. Pakistan, however, was represented by foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. He said: “Pakistan is among the seven countries most affected by TB. By implementing multiple drug-resistant TB strategy, we have yielded positive results with a success rate of 65 per cent, which is higher than average global success rate. He pledged that his government was fully committed to root out this epidemic by implementing the End TB Strategy.

Speakers emphasised greater collaboration at all levels and innovative methodologies without which, they said, the battle against the disease couldn’t be won.

Delivering a hard-hitting speech, Nick Herbert, a member of the UK parliament and co-chair Global TB caucus, described world’s slow progress on TB as a “shameful political failure”. “Truth is that doctors know how to treat TB, but the world is refusing to pay for it. This isn’t a medical problem: it’s a shameful political failure.” He continued, “This is a fine declaration, but it does not include a strong or independent accountability mechanism. So we will all need to hold our leaders’ feet to the fire for the promises they make today.”

The meeting also featured two panel discussions: one on TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, and the other on financing. Bill Gates, CoChair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Aisha Bu­­hari, First Lady of Nigeria and Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS Special Ambas­sador and Ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, delivered keynote addresses.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2018