Countries, partners and civil society are committed to strengthening the involvement of public-private care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide access to affordable TB care at the PPM Working Group meeting

Over 300 representatives from countries, partners and civil society gathered at the almost global meeting of the Public-Private Mixture Working Group (PPM) on TB prevention and care on 23 and 25 November. The meeting was convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop TB Partnership with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Fund. The meeting was opened by Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of the WHO Global TB Program, and Dr. Madhukar Pai, Chair of the Stop TB PPM Working Group and Associate Director of the International TB Center. Nigerian TB survivor and Funke Dosumu advocate shared her personal fight against TB and made a passionate request for stronger public-private partnerships to ensure access to quality TB care without the additional financial burden. The meeting drew attention to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the response to tuberculosis, which is particularly strong on the provision of care in the private sector. A special speech was given by award-winning journalist Barkha Dutt. It issued a strong alarm call for the tragic impact of COVID-19 on the poor and vulnerable, especially those battling TB and other infectious diseases in access to affordable care.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has widened gaps in access to tuberculosis prevention and care services in the public and private sectors, as evidenced by the experiences and rich discussions shared at the PPM Working Group meeting,” said Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, WHO Director-General. Global TB Program. “We urgently need to join forces and strengthen multi-sectoral action, including the engagement of all care providers, to move back towards universal health insurance, to ensure that people with TB and other infectious diseases are not left behind.”

The meeting resulted in a series of comprehensive priority actions to strengthen PPM efforts facing the COVID-19 pandemic. An updated landscape analysis on private sector engagement with the latest PPM data and models was also previously launched at the meeting to facilitate improving the engagement of private service providers in the abolition of TB. The meeting extensively discussed global progress, challenges and opportunities for expanding PPM to achieve the ultimate TB goals – especially those committed to the UN Political Declaration on TB.

“Covid-19 and TB pose a deadly, double threat – a syndrome,” said Dr. Madhukar Pai, chairman of the PPM TB Task Force. “Getting back on track requires a huge amount of work, advocacy and funding. We need all hands on deck, including the private health sector, to fight existing and new killer diseases. I am glad that the annual meeting of the PPM Working Group included critical content on how we can achieve that goal. “

The meeting was held in an interactive format. The first day involved interventions by survivors of TB, WHO, and key partners, including USAID, The Global Fund, Stop TB Partnership, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. A special roundtable focused on the progress and challenges facing countries in increasing PPM, including the engagement of PPM services for greater efficiency. A comprehensive overview of the progress made during the year since the launch of the TB PPM Learning Network was presented, including rapid membership growth and knowledge sharing. It then focuses on drug-resistant PPM and TB, through a visual patient story and intervention from Vietnam on the occasion of World Antimicrobial Awareness Week. The meeting launched a pre-updated PPM Landscape Analysis for Private Sector Engagement at the End of TB for 2020

The second day focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on efforts to increase PPM. Private physicians and national TB program managers shared candid feedback on the dark situation in maintaining private TB care during the COVID-19 crisis, but also shared how digital innovations are proving to change the game in providing access to care. The meeting closed with group discussions on priority actions to get PPM back on track and achieve the goals of extreme TB, given the context of COVID-19. Leveraging digital innovations, including telemedicine, improved monitoring, and strengthening multisectoral accountability were among the key actions identified.

At the end of the meeting, representatives of national TB programs, partners and civil society praised the work of the PPM working group and the WHO and pledged to work with the WHO and partners to renew and strengthen PPM efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SEE VIDEOS:

Day 1: November 23, 2020

Day 2: November 25, 2020