Moldovan CSOs join together to help defeat TB
On 17th May 2013, seven civil society organisations in Moldova have recently come together to found the ‘National Platform of CSOs active in the field of TB control’. The group was formed in order to ensure that individual organisations working at a community level could harness their collective energy and have a significant positive impact at a national level.
The platform have a number of plans for the future, the immediate of which are:
- the elaboration of the Platform’s Strategic Plan for 2013-2016;
- and appointment of the Platform’s representative within the Country Coordination Mechanism on National TB and HIV/AIDS control and prophylaxis programmes.
The overall mission of the group is to defeat TB in the Republic of Moldova. They plan to do this through the consolidation of efforts of CSOs in order to increase the accountability of communities and the governmental sector, to develop services centered on TB patients and to carry out common advocacy activities.
Along with their immediate plans, during the next four years the platform will concentrate on the following strategic objectives:
- Improving the access to diagnosis and treatment of persons with TB, especially those from vulnerable groups: homeless people, IDUs, ex-inmates and persons living below the poverty level;
- Reduction of TB-related stigma and discrimination;
- Improve knowledge and attitude towards TB among patients and community members;
- Increase the Platform’s visibility and the consolidation of its image and capacities.
The TB Europe Coalition warmly welcome this announcement. There is no doubt that civil society organisations provide an invaluable service in the fight against TB. This is particularly the case in many countries throughout Europe that have suffered from a lack of proper infrastructure and political will to deal with the issue in recent decades. The secretariat for the platform is currently held by AFI NGO.
Source: TB Europe Coalition
