WHO Executive Board Adopts Draft Resolution On TB, Stresses Importance Of Resistant TB In Overall Fight Against AMR

Mirza Alas of the intergovernmental South Centre has published an analysis of the World Health Organization Executive Board approval of a draft resolution on actions toward ending tuberculosis and how it relates to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The opening paragraphs and a link to the original are provided below.

Note: The full original article from the South Centre is available here.

The World Health Organization (WHO) held its 142nd session of the Executive Board (EB) meeting on 22-27 January 2018 in Geneva. During the week, country delegates discussed a draft resolution text on the preparation for a High-level Meeting at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on ending tuberculosis (TB).

The draft resolution adopted by the EB will be presented at the World Health Assembly this May for endorsement and will constitute the main mandate for Member States and the WHO Secretariat to shape the High-level Meeting during the UNGA in 2018.

On 25 January Member States agreed on a draft text which requests the WHO Director-General (DG) to “develop a draft multisectorial accountability framework that enables the monitoring, reporting, review and actions needed to accelerate progress to end tuberculosis both globally and nationally to be presented at the High-level Meeting on TB.

The resolution further requests the Director-General to continue supporting the United Nations Secretary-General and the General Assembly in the preparation of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on ending tuberculosis in 2018, to support the implementation of the Moscow Declaration to End TB, to urgently support high multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) burden countries in their national emergency response and to address MDR-TB as a major threat to public health by supporting implementation of the Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) including TB-specific actions in all countries.

Moreover, it also requests the DG to provide strategic and technical leadership, assistance, advice and support to Member States, as well as working with international institutions and all other relevant stakeholders, towards sufficient and sustainable financing and lastly to develop a global strategy for tuberculosis research and innovation taking into consideration ongoing and new efforts and to make further progress in enhancing cooperation and coordination of tuberculosis research and development, considering where possible drawing on relevant, existing research networks and global initiatives.

For the full article, including details of the Board members’ debate, click here.