Government representatives, researchers, and financing partners from about 22 countries are meeting together in Stockholm over the next two days to participate in a World Health Organization consultation on research for tuberculosis (TB) elimination. WHO has co-organized this meeting with the Swedish medical university, Karolinska Institutet and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden.
The importance of research for TB elimination:
37 million lives have been saved through effective diagnosis and treatment of TB since 2000. However the disease still causes 1.5 million deaths.
The World Health Assembly adopted a new strategy in 2014 to end the global TB epidemic, by driving down incidence by 90% and deaths by 95% by 2035. Research and innovation is essential to this End TB Strategy and to the vision of a world free of TB.
“We need revolutionary new technology and service delivery models for the world to reach our new TB targets”, said Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of the WHO Global TB Programme. However, TB research & development is still severely underfunded with an annual shortfall of around US$1.3 billion.
Charting the way forward:
The consultation in Stockholm aims to develop concrete actions to deliver results in TB research over the next one, five and ten years.
“There has been a 45% reduction in TB mortality since 2000. A great achievement, but not enough". said Dr. Anders Nordström, Ambassador for Global Health at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. "Investments in research and innovations now are crucial to reach the global targets”.
Participants will define ways to enhance effective collaboration globally, strengthen country-specific research programs and capacity in low and middle-income countries; and more efficiently mobilize and use scarce financial resources.
“Karolinska Institutet and Sweden has a long tradition of excellent tuberculosis research, from basic research to operational studies and is an important partner in these efforts,” said Dr. Gunilla Källenius, professor at Karolinska Institutet.