Podgorica (Montenegro), January 7, 2016 - An amendment to the 2016 budget of Montenegro has been secured through the efforts of members of the Global TB Caucus from Montenegro.
Members secured an additional 6% to the budget line on health equipment in order to purchase new rapid diagnostic tests for TB.
The amendment followed from a special conference held on International Human Rights Day focusing on TB. Convened by the Committees on Human Rights and Freedoms and the Committee on Health, Labour and Social Welfare, the Conference brought together politicians, academics, health experts, and civil society to discuss TB in Montenegro and the wider region.
In recent years, rates of TB in Montenegro have decreased by 33% but challenges remain, particularly in relation to multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). It is hoped that the new resources allocated for rapid diagnostics will help diagnose MDR-TB more quickly and enable patients to access the right treatment as soon as possible.
Further activities are planned in 2016 as the health authorities target further reductions in the TB rates.
For a full report on the Conference, click here.
To see the budget amendment which has now been passed, click here.
Source: Global TB Caucus