The ACTION global health partnership applauds the U.S. Government for its leadership on creating a comprehensive plan to make the end of AIDS a reality, and recognizing the critical role of addressing tuberculosis (TB) to end the global HIV/AIDS epidemic.

ACTION has released its second brief on children and TB, issuing recommendations for the international community and affected countries to combat this neglected epidemic.

On August 7, 2012, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), UNITAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced an agreement that will significantly reduce the cost of the rapid TB diagnostic test Xpert MTB/RIF (commonly referred to as GeneXpert)  in 145 high-burden and developing countries. ACTION issues the following statement in response:

ACTION’s new publication, The Global Fund: Progress at Risk, provides specific examples of where the fight against TB will slow unless donors contribute needed resources.

A briefing and update on tuberculosis (TB), a disease that is curable but still takes the lives of 4,000 people each day and is the number one killer of people living with HIV. Special areas of focus of the briefing include US global leadership on TB, how communities are addressing the crisis, the threat of drug-resistant TB, and progress towards an effective vaccine, better medications and faster diagnostics.