End TB Progress Report endorsed at the World Health Assembly

May 2017 | GENEVA - The World Health Assembly received with appreciation and endorsed a progress report on the End TB Strategy on 30 May. The Strategy was adopted by Member States in 2014 (resolution WHA67.1 (2014)).

This first progress report emphasized that actions and investments by countries were falling too short, and that renewed action and an acceleration of efforts were needed to reach the targets set within the End TB Strategy and the Sustainable Development Goals. The upcoming WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB in the Sustainable Development Era, which will be held in Moscow on 16-17 November 2017 and the UN General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on TB planned for 2018 were flagged as key opportunities to drive high-level commitment and action by Ministers of Health, other Ministers, and Heads of State. 

The report was commended by many countries including, Bahrain, Italy, Iraq, Japan, Malawi on behalf of the African region, Nigeria, Thailand, the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, United States of America (also on behalf of American Region), Suriname, Panama and  Australia, as well as partners - the Union and MSF. The WHO Secretariat was requested to report back at the 71^st and 72^nd World Health Assemblies on the outcomes of the WHO Ministerial Conference and the 2018 UNGA High-Level Meeting on TB, respectively.

“It is heartening to see the unanimous support from Member States to ramp up the fight against TB, as evidenced by the interventions made by Member States during the discussion on the End TB progress report”, said Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of the WHO Global TB Programme. “This is an early sign of commitment as we move forward to the momentous high-level events planned for 2017 and 2018”.  

Access the progress report here

Source: WHO Global TB Program