Meeting Report: Virtual Meeting of WHO Civil Society Task Force on TB, 30 March - 1 April 2021

The WHO Civil Society Task Force on TB (CSTF) was established in December 2018 as a platform for dialogue and exchange to harness the untapped potential in civil society engagement and accelerate progress to End TB. The Task Force aims to emphasize seven comprehensive key actions in efforts to end TB in SDG era, and the full terms of reference are accessible here. The CSTF currently comprises seventeen members, selected through an open call for expression of interest and evaluation by an independent Selection Panel. The seventeen members are: Amir Khan (Pakistan), Aneeta Pasha (Pakistan), Bertrand Kampoer (Cameroon), Blessina Kumar (India), Chamreun Sok Choub (Cambodia), Evaline Kibuchi (Kenya), Esty Febriani Mkes (Indonesia), Ezio Tavora dos Santos Filho (Brazil), Fatima Karmadwala (United Kingdom); Harry Hausler (South Africa), Jamilya Ismoilova (Tajikistan), Jeffry Acaba (Thailand), Nyan Win Phyo, (Thailand), Paran Winarni (Indonesia), Roger Kamugasha (Uganda), Tenzin Kunor (USA) and Yuliya Chorna (Canada).

The CSTF members are leading efforts to mainstream the voices of TB civil society and survivors in the work of WHO, national TB programmes and multisectoral partners. WHO Global Tuberculosis Programme (GTB) has been ensuring the task force members are an integral part of all priority workstreams, including systematic membership in all guideline development processes. The Progress Report on the UN Political Declaration on Tuberculosis includes CSTF inputs. An overview of achievements, progress and future plans can be found in the progress report here. The report highlights key achievements of the task force since its establishment in late 2018, focusing on high- level engagement and advocacy, impact in TB high-burden countries, achievements in mainstreaming task force voices in the work of WHO, strengthening civil society engagement in the WHO guideline development process, and building common ground between WHO and civil society members to enhance impact.

During 2020, most of the CSTF members’ efforts were aimed at maintaining focus on TB in the COVID- 19 pandemic era. Highlights include a multi-country community survey on the impact of COVID on the TB epidemic, and Brazilian civil society national assessment of the impact of COVID -19 on TB and HIV services. Key WHO products related to COVID-19 and mitigating its impact on ending TB were drafted with CSTF inputs.

To catalyze multisectoral action on TB, WHO and CSTF jointly developed the civil society annex to the national assessment checklist for the Multisectoral Accountability Framework for TB (MAF-TB) (available here) to ensure thorough assessment of civil society engagement as part of this process. The tool is being implemented by the national TB programmes. CSTF members are currently actively supporting multisectoral action in more than 25 countries in Africa, Western Pacific and Europe.

In view of the changed landscape due to COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to realign priorities to ensure relevance and responsiveness, following consultation between WHO and CSTF members, it was agreed to convene a three-day virtual meeting on 30 March – 1 April 2021.