the union south east asia region in 2017challenge tb project, implemented by the union south-east...
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CALL TO ACTION FOR A TB-FREE INDIA
THE UNION SOUTH EAST ASIA REGION IN 2017
•TheUnionbeganworkwiththeGovernmentofIndia onanationwideTBcase-findingcampaignfocusingon vulnerablepopulationsin50districtsacross18states, withtheaimtoimproveTBdetectionratesattheearly stagesofdisease.
•MembersofParliamentmetinNewDelhitolaunch theIndiaTBCaucus,committingtofocusgovernment effortsonTBandworkacrosspartylinestoaddressthis issue.ThemeetingwasjointlyorganisedbyTheUnion andpartners.
•OrganisedbyTheUnion,theTB-FreeIndiaSummitwas heldinAprilinDharamshala,India.Itdrewtogethertop governmentofficials,membersofparliamentandIndian celebritiestoincreasemomentuminthefightagainstTB. Thesummitconcludedwithacricketmatch,whereIndia’s topcelebritiesandpoliticianscompetedtosymbolically ‘bowlTBoutofIndia’.
AttheIndiaTBCaucus,TBactivistsandcivilsocietymemberssharedtheirstorieswiththeMPs.RheaLobo,aTBsurvivor,sharedherstoryaboutherdiagnosisandthestigmashesufferedasaresult:
“Many people told me that TB is a ‘poor man’s disease’ – but TB does not discriminate. It has no geographic, demographic or economic barriers.”
TheCalltoActionforaTB-FreeIndiaisanadvocacyinitiativeworkingtocreatepartnershipsandmobiliseeffortstoendTBinIndia.ItispartoftheChallengeTBproject,implementedbyTheUnionSouth-EastAsiaOffice.In2017,CalltoActionforaTB-FreeIndiacarriedoutthefollowingactivities:
A smoke-free taxi, Hue City, Viet Nam. Comprehensive smoke-free laws protect people from second-hand
smoke in all enclosed public places. There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.
CREDIT: The Union
Sri Lanka
PakistanNepal
Maldives
Bangladesh
Afghanistan
MyanmarIndia
Bhutan
KNOW• Unionexpertshad15peer-reviewed paperspublishedinPublic Health Action andPLOS ONE,amongothers.They coveredTB,HIVanddiabetescarefrom countriesacrosstheregion.
• TheUnionSouth-EastAsiaOffice organisedacourseontobaccocontrol inKathmandu,Nepal.Attendedby policymakers,civilsocietyandmedia fromacrosstheregion,thecourse’s 75participantsreceivedtraining tostrengthenleadershipskills,boost evidence-basedpolicyimplementation, andcommunicationtoadvance tobaccocontrol.
• TheIndianGovernment’s2017TBReport revealedthatProjectAxshya’scounselling interventionsforpatientswithmultidrug- resistanttuberculosis,whichhasreached over8,000MDR-TBpatientsinthreeyears, improvedpatientadherencebytwo-thirds.
SHARE• TheUnioncalledforaccesstoeffective treatmentsforeverypatientfollowing thelegalvictoryofan18-year-old womanfromPatna,India,with extensivelydrug-resistanttuberculosis tobeprescribedthedrugbedaquiline. Currently,bedaquilineisavailableonly withincertaincitiesinIndia.
• TheUnionsupportedahigh-level conferenceinBangladesh,which focusedontheWorldHealth Organization’sMPOWER–aseries ofevidence-basedmeasuresto reducetobaccouse.Withmorethan 200attendees,includingpolicymakers, civilsociety,academicsandmedia, theconferenceurgedprogressoncore tobaccocontrolpolices.
• TheUnionsupportedameeting convenedinNewDelhi,India,which resultedinall11memberstatesofthe South-EastAsiaRegionsigningaCall forActiontoEndTB.Declarations includedincreasingresourcesand fundingforcountries,withparticular emphasisontheneedtofully-fund nationalTBprogrammes.
FROM EVIDENCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONFornearly100yearsTheUnionhasdrawntogetherthebestscientificevidenceandexpertisetoaddressthemostpressingpublichealthchallengesaffectingpeoplelivinginpovertyaroundtheworld.Know.Share.Act.
UNION OFFICES
COURSES AND CONFERENCE LOCATIONS
RESEARCH LOCATIONS
UNION MEMBER NETWORK
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE LOCATIONS
ACT• ImplementedbyTheUnionSouth-East AsiaOffice,ProjectAxshyaestablished97 TBtreatmentandinformationkiosksin40 citiesinIndia.ProjectAxshyaalsoworked withanactivenetworkof15,000volunteers toaddresstheneedsofvulnerable populations,providingTBinformation, screening,treatmentandsupport.
• In2017TheUnionOfficeinMyanmar:
• organisedamonthlysupportmeetingfor thecommunityofpeopleaffectedbyTB.
• providedantiretroviraltherapytoover 26,000peoplelivingwithHIVin Myanmar,thanksto17newly decentralisedtreatmentcentres.
• raninteractiveworkshopstohelp studentsinMyanmarlearnaboutHIV/ AIDSaspartofasix-montheducation andoutreachinitiative.
• launchedtheCommunityBased IntegratedTuberculosisCareProjectto supportapopulationofover900,000.