New operational guidance on adaptation and implementation of WHO's Multisectoral Accountability Framework to end TB
20 September 2023 | New York The World Health Organization (WHO) has released Operational guidance for countries to support the adaptation and implementation of the Multisectoral Accountability Framework to end TB (MAF-TB). It provides practical advice on key approaches and interventions needed to establish the MAF-TB at the national and local levels with concrete country examples and best practices.
"The renewed committments that will emerge from the second UN High Level Meeting on TB held this week should be leveraged to scale up the momentum for multisectoral engagement and concrete action", said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme. "This "How-to" tool will be instrumental in advancing collaboration across sectors with clear accountability, to tackle the key drivers and determinants of the TB epidemic."
Since the launch of MAF-TB in 2019, WHO has provided coordination, guidance, and technical support for countries and stakeholders in adaptation and implementation, including monitoring and review at global, regional and national (including local) levels. All three levels of WHO are working closely with countries, UN agencies, civil society and partners to build capacity, increase awareness and share best practices and experiences of multisectoral engagement and accountability. MAF-TB is prioritized in the WHO Director-General’s flagship initiative to end TB as one of the key actions.
The Operational guidance is intended for use by all stakeholders involved in their national TB response, including ministries of health and other relevant government ministries and bodies, national TB programmes (or their equivalents in ministries of health), other relevant national programmes, parliamentarians, the private sector, international organizations, nongovernmental and civil society organizations and TB-affected communities involved in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and review of the TB response. The stakeholders involved may vary across countries depending on several factors, including the epidemiology and determinants of TB, the institutional arrangements for TB care and prevention and the degree of devolution of the political and health governance system.
It is designed to support all countries in efforts to end or eliminate TB. While it may be perceived as having more relevance to countries which bear a high burden of TB, it can also provide key guidance for countries with a low TB incidence in advancing their efforts on elimination.
Best practices: Adaptation and implementation of MAF-TB
Earlier this year, WHO released a compilation of best practices that includes case studies on adaptation and implementation of MAF-TB to support effective collaboration and accountability of governments and stakeholders to propel progress towards ending the TB epidemic. Around 25 case studies are presented in the document. This is a living document that will be updated regularly with experiences from countries and partners in implementing MAF-TB.
Source: World Health Organization
