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AHF Advocates for Action on World TB Day
AHF commemorated World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24 with global events,
including rallies, educational sessions, and, of course, TB testing. AHF country teams also sent letters to their respective heads of state calling on them to prioritize TB globally by personally attending the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB in September in New York City.
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Ugandan Member of Parliament Hon. Rukia Isanga
Nakadama emphasizes the need to screen for TB when one experiences symptoms.
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AHF Uganda Cares commemorated World TB Day with the Ministry of Health along with massive attendance from civil society organizations and government officials. Health care workers provided TB screenings to 1,800 people, TV and radio shows were present, and participants received free t-shirts to drum up awareness.
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Over 200 advocates, including dancers, gathered to march and conduct a flash mob to bring attention to World TB Day.
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Nepalese advocates took to the streets across four regions with cyclists, flash mobs, candlelight vigils, and rallies to mark World TB Day. Nearly 1,000 people attended these events, along with others, including nutritional counseling, TB counseling and screenings, and TB-specific training for health care professionals.
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Left to right: Dr. Luis
Moreno, Dr. Carlos Gartner, Deputy Victor Castillo, Natasha Dormoi, Dr. Edwin Aizpurua, Dr. Melva Cruz, Samantha Rosas, Dr. Ana Riviere, Dr. Margarita Botello, and Dr. Amador Goodridge.
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AHF Panama used World TB Day to formalize an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Panamanian Anti-tuberculosis Organization (OPAT) to expand the prevention, early detection, linkage, and comprehensive care of TB patients, as part of HIV-TB coinfection management.
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“Our team supported additional TB advocacy on April 12 by organizing the Preparatory Meeting for the Americas Parliamentarians Summit against TB slated for April 24-25,” said AHF Panama Country Program Manager Natasha Dormoi (pictured speaking with media).
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“This meeting was meaningful, bringing together government health officials and representatives from indigenous areas significantly impacted by TB. We’re confident the Summit will lead to a regional declaration to be presented at the UN High-Level Meeting on TB later this year," added Dormoi.
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| The AHF China team marked World TB Day with a social media campaign on two platforms similar to TikTok (pictured).
The team also sent press releases through numerous media outlets that promoted the "Yes! We can end TB" messages across multiple provinces. The statements advocated for the government and public health institutions to promote TB research, prevention, and treatment programs and increase funding for TB overall.
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The events highlighted the link between TB and HIV. Some patients who had completed TB treatment spoke to other patients about the importance of finishing treatment.
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In South Africa, the team partnered with a local clinic to provide TB screenings and improvements on TB prevention and treatment - including emphasizing the importance of completing treatment to avoid drug-resistant TB. Over 100 people attended the events, including AHF staff, community health workers, and others. Advocates distributed nearly 6,000 condoms too!
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The team in Nigeria got “Yes! We Can End TB” messaging out far and wide in a dozen media outlets, calling on increased action on TB in the country. “Ending TB for us in Nigeria must come with an intensified level of case finding and for patients who show up in hospitals to embrace treatment, which is free across health facilities,” said Dr. Echey Ijezie, Country Program Director at AHF Nigeria.
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| Over 150 participants, including officials from the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, other government departments, USAID, and advocates from AHF and partners, marked World TB Day with an assembly to discuss the current state of TB in the country and hear leaders’ proposed solutions.
“We have developed and launched a multisectoral response strategy for TB to fill the gaps of low government contributions for
national TB prevention and treatment, which we’ll implement nationwide in the coming months,” said Mr. Taye Leta, representing the state minister and national TB desk leader.
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The advocacy in the U.S. continued beyond World TB Day, with AHF hosting a "Reviving TB Advocacy Worldwide" panel session on April 13 with public health thought leaders and TB experts at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference in Washington, D.C. |
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Left to right: Alice Kayongo, Dr. Adele Schwartz Benzaken, Alberto Colorado, Aida Kurtovic, Dr. Stefano Bertozzi, and Allan Maleche discuss reviving TB advocacy.
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AHF provides HIV/AIDS medical care and/or services to more than 1.7 million clients worldwide.
Experience the advocacy on the AHF Films
website.
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AIDS Healthcare Foundation
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United States
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