Yes, we can end TB with community empowerment.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has coordinated the selection of new members to the WHO Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis (CSTF-TB) for the period 2024 - 2025. Building on achievements of the CSTF-TB to date, the taskforce will continue to serve as a platform for discussion and exchange with WHO, advising WHO on leveraging engagement with civil society and affected communities at all levels to implement the Guidance on engagement of communities and civil society to end tuberculosis and accelerate progress towards ending TB.
Functions of the CSTF-TB
The CSTF-TB serves the following functions:
- Bringing the voices and priorities of communities and civil society from the grassroots to the national, regional and global levels, including in the development of WHO norms and standards;
- Advising on advancing the implementation of the WHO End TB Strategy and related guidance and policies and contribute to the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on promotion of the WHO Guidance on engagement of communities and civil society to end tuberculosis, fostering multisectoral action, and translating the political declaration of the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB into action;
- Advising on strengthening collaboration between civil society and communities affected by TB and WHO, national tuberculosis programmes (NTPs) and stakeholders in efforts to end TB;
- Providing direction on initiatives to build the capacity of communities and civil society to enhance networking, facilitate sharing of information, knowledge, good practices and innovation, and promote dialogue and consultation on the implementation of WHO’s TB policies and norms through meaningful community engagement;
- Advising WHO on advocacy initiatives to increase domestic and donor funding for the TB response at all levels;
- Providing critical evaluation of community and civil society engagement to end TB at the various level (national, regional and global).
Membership
Twelve members were selected by an independent selection panel with inputs from WHO regional offices following a public call for applications. The selection considered the expertise and experience of the applicants, with deliberate efforts to ensure balance of representation in terms of geographical regions, gender, and the diversity of communities and civil society representatives. Members of the CSTF-TB will act in their individual capacities.
The twelve selected members are:
- Ms Ashna Ashesh, India
- Ms Handaa Enkh-Amgalan, Mongolia
- Dr Akramul Islam, Bangladesh
- Ms Victoria James, Zimbabwe
- Ms Yuliia Kalancha, Ukraine
- Dr Karina Kielmann, Belgium
- Dr Qader Qader Ghulam, Afghanistan
- Ms Ida Lea Savadogo Yugbare, Burkina Faso
- Dr Yassen Tcholakov, Canada
- Dr Helene-Mari Van der Westhuizen, South Africa
- Dr Luan Vo, Viet Nam
- Mr Timothy Wafula, Kenya
Public notice and comment
In order to enhance WHO’s management of Conflicts of Interest as well as strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO advisory bodies and their meetings involving the provision of technical/normative advice (“Published Information”) being considered for participation in such engagement are disclosed for public notice and comment.
The Published Information is provided by the experts themselves and is the sole responsibility of the individuals concerned. WHO is not responsible for the accuracy, veracity and completeness of the Published Information provided. Furthermore, in no event will WHO be responsible or liable for damages in relation to the use of, and reliance upon, the Published Information.
The comments received by WHO through the public notice and comment process are treated confidentially and their receipt will be acknowledged through generic email notification to the sender. Comments and perceptions brought to the knowledge of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s conflict of interest assessment policy and are carefully reviewed. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert with no attribution to the provider of such information. Upon review and assessment of the information received through this process, WHO, in its sole discretion, may take appropriate management action in accordance with its policies.
The participation of an expert in a WHO advisory body or meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization nor does it create a binding relationship between the expert and WHO.
The list of participating experts, a summary of relevant interests disclosed by such experts, and any appropriate mitigation measures taken by WHO relating to the management of conflicts of interests, will be reported publicly in accordance with WHO practice.
The deadline for public comments is Friday, 29 March 2024. Please send your comments to TBcommunity@who.int with copy to syedl@who.int with the subject “Public comments on CSTF-TB members.”