DUSHANBE, October 25, Asia-Plus — The World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted a regional declaration on TB.
On October 22, Berlin hosted ministerial forum organized by WHO/Europe. The forum brought together health, justice and foreign ministers from 49 countries of Europe and Central Asia.
Tajikistan was represented at the forum by Health Minister Rano Abdurahmonova.
WHO/Europe organized the forum to ensure that tuberculosis is granted high priority on health agendas, and to boost financial commitments to improving its control.
Tuberculosis was declared a health threat in the WHO European Region in 2005. Urgent action is still required in order to progress as rapidly as possible towards halving the prevalence and mortality rates by 2015, in line with the Millennium Development Goals.
The Forum in Berlin discussed issues related to strengthening political commitment to implementing the WHO Stop TB Strategy throughout the Region and to including tuberculosis control within the strengthening of health systems as well as obtaining commitment from all Member States to ensure full and appropriate financing of tuberculosis control, in line with World Health Assembly resolution WHA 58.14 on sustainable financing for tuberculosis prevention and control.
A key outcome of the Ministerial Forum “All against TB” was adoption of a Declaration on TB. Over the past few months, the World Health Organization has been working together with Ministries of Health in the EURO region to develop the draft Ministerial Declaration (text below, Russian language version can be downloaded). It should be noted that this is not the final text that the Ministers will adopt, but it demonstrates the approach and key themes. Civil society has been given the opportunity to use this draft document to help shape their “Offer of Partnership” for the Ministerial Forum.
According to Tajikistan’s Republican TB-Prevention Center, 4,520 new cases of tuberculosis have been detected in Tajikistan since the beginning of this year.
