Press Release | 08 February 2024

The Philippines, represented by the Department of Health (DOH), joined the Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Partnership 37th Board Meeting in Brasilia, Brazil, from February 6-8, 2024.

The meeting served as a venue for world leaders to share insights and best practices with the ultimate goal of eliminating tuberculosis on the following areas: 1) Ways Forward and Follow-up of the 2023 UN High Level Meeting on TB in New York; 2) Development, Production, and Roll-out of TB Vaccines; 3) Innovations for TB Response; 4) Ensuring Access to Quality-Assured, Affordable TB Products (Global Drug Facility); 5) Global Fund Investment in TB Response; and 6) Community-led TB Monitoring.

Attendees included the Board’s Vice Chair Mr. Arinze Austin Obiefuna, Executive Director of Afro Global Alliance; World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; Pan American Health Organization Regional Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa; Stop TB Partnership Director Dr. Lucica Ditiu; Indonesia’s Honorable Budi Gunadi Sadikin; Nigeria’s Honorable Muhammad Ali Pate; Philippines’ DOH Secretary Dr. Teodoro J. Herbosa. There were also Vice Ministers of Health, namely Brazil’s Honorable Dr. Ethel Leonor Noia Maciel; Bolivia’s Honorable Max Francisco Enriquez Nava; Mozambique’s Honorable Dr. Ilesh Jani; Venezuela’s Honorable Jesus Miguel Osteicochea; and Paraguay’s Honorable Maria Teresa Baran Wasilchuk, as well as other representatives from other countries, development partners, donors, civil society organizations and patient groups.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. We need your support to: 1) Follow through on political commitments; 2) To close the funding gap of US $22 billion; and 3) Mobilize the scientific resources to develop new TB vaccines,” WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus emphasized.

“In the 2023 State of the Nation, our President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. declared tuberculosis as one of his priorities, underscoring the urgency of the problem and the important role of each stakeholder and partner in the fight against TB,” Secretary Herbosa said during his speech in the first day of session. “The DOH is serious about its commitment to Stop TB,” Herbosa added.

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