It is imperative therefore that progress to end TB, COVID and other infectious diseases must go hand-in-hand with other multisectoral efforts to reduce inequities, eliminate extreme poverty, ensure social protection, and achieve universal health coverage. A people-centered rights based response is key.
As highlighted by WHO’s Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus many times – health is a rights issue. WHO was founded in 1948 on the conviction that health is a human right for all people, not a privilege for the few. Today, that conviction remains central to everything we do. And it remains central to the fight against TB.
Human rights are at the core of WHO’s End TB Strategy and the United Nations Political Declaration on the Fight against TB. The third principle of the End TB Strategy calls for the “protection and promotion of human rights, ethics and equity.” The UN Political Declaration commits countries to a “comprehensive response … that addresses the social and economic determinants of the epidemic and that protects and fulfils the human rights and dignity of all people”.
While we have made incredible progress in the fight to end TB with over 63 million lives saved since the year 2000, the burden of suffering and death due to TB remains immense. 10 million people fell ill with TB in 2019 and 1.4 million people lost their lives to the disease. An important step to end suffering and save lives is ensuring the right to health for people with TB. This is part of what WHO is doing with countries to strengthen their health systems and help them progress towards universal health coverage, so that all people have access to the services they need, without facing financial hardship or stigma and discrimination. This is a legal and moral imperative, and of crucial importance to ensure an effective response to end TB. Alongside these efforts we must fight stigma and remove discriminatory laws if we are to achieve the targets and commitments we have made. Civil society engagement in achieving this is critical.
On this Human Rights Day, I am proud to join you all to champion the rights of the most marginalized and vulnerable – to ensure they have access to ALL the services they need, for ALL diseases including TB, especially in this challenging time. It’s time to stand up for Human Rights. Its time to end TB.
Thank you.
Dr Tereza Kasaeva
Director, WHO Global TB Programme
#ENDTB Webinar: Stand up for Human Rights
To mark Human Rights Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Programme organized a special #EndTB webinar on the importance of promoting a human rights based approach to end TB. The webinar was co-chaired by Tereza Kasaeva, Director, WHO Global TB Programme and Ernesto Jaramillo, Medical Officer, WHO Global TB Programme. Key speakers included, Jeffrey Acaba, WHO Civil Society Task Force and APCASO; Priyam Cherian, India, GCTA; Nkirote Mwirigi, National TB programme Kenya; Evaline Kibuchi, WHO Civil Society Task Force and Stop TB Kenya; and Rodney Kort, WHO Department on Gender, equity, and human rights