25 March 2015 - South Africa - South Africa has one of the highest levels of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in the world, affecting 15,400 people in 2012 alone. Current standard of care for the disease involves the use of toxic medicines, which, among other side effects, can also cause hearing loss in about 30% of patients.

24 March 2014 - The sectarian violence that dramatically increased in much of Iraq in 2014 has displaced more than 2.5 million people. This, combined with the quarter of a million refugees fleeing to northern Iraq from the conflict in Syria, have put a great strain on a health system that had been making modest progress in its recovery from the prolonged crisis of the past decade. The frequent mobility and the cramped living conditions of those displaced are a particular challenge for the country’s tuberculosis (TB) programme.

Dear colleagues, partners and stakeholders,

The poll to vote for the 2015 Kochon Prize has been launched! 

12 March 2015 -- Geneva, Switzerland -- In an initiative to highlight that there should be no stigma associated with tuberculosis (TB) and that anyone could be infected with TB no matter where they live, the Stop TB Partnership Secretariat staff, colleagues from UNOPS and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria are today getting tested through an interferon gamma release assay (test) that will determine if the person is infected with latent TB.

06 March 2015 - Bangkok - National TB Program managers from different countries, procurement and supply chain management specialists, and data managers, came together in Bangkok for a week-long conference to exchange experiences on ways to increase access to pharmaceutical services including medicines and diagnostics.

The past decade has shown what is possible when we work together. We want to make this year a memorable one for TB and we want patients and communities to speak up and be at the core of our efforts this year.

26 February 2015 - Romania - The Romanian government this week approved the National Strategy for TB Control for the period 2015-2020. The Strategy aims to reduce TB incidence and mortality by providing prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and an increased adherence to treatment as recommended by WHO. Despite progress in the last 12 years, Romania still has one of the highest rates of TB in the European Union. It is four times above the EU average, and it has one of the lowest rates of treatment success with rising rates of TB infection.

This price reduction is expected to save up to USD 22 million annually, enabling treatment for more people living with MDR-TB.

Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) are country-level multi-stakeholder partnerships, responsible for coordination and collaboration on Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) related processes in country. Therefore CCMs are important for national ownership and participatory decision-making.