Stakeholders advocate for better diagnostics of TB infection

At the end of day one of the First TB-HIV Advocacy Workshop taking place in Cape Town, South Africa; stakeholders comprising activists, health professionals and development partners are advocating for better diagnostics for TB infection especially among People Living with HIV.

The workshop being organized by Treatment Action Campaign, South Africa and Treatment Action Group, New York has over seventy participants from different countries in Africa.

The goal of the of the workshop are to:
1, Education. To share information on TB and HIV research, prevention, treatment and policy: and to initiate and build upon strategies to disseminate information about TB/HIV co infection within Africa through developing skills necessary to help communities understand, participate in, and provide input into research and treatment programmes.

2, Networking. To provide opportunities for Africa-based TB and HIV Community advocates to develop working relationships each other, WHO representatives, researchers, and other involved with TB and HIV/AIDS control to effectively represent affected communities.

3, Advocacy and resource mobilization. To provide opportunities for Africa- based TB and HIV community advocates to learn about examples and strategies to mobilize communities, policymakers, and resources to better fight TB/HIV at the country and regional levels, and participates in Global policy initiatives as well as to discuss their own plans to do so.

One recurring issue during the day’s session is the need to ensure better diagnostics of TB infection especially among PLWHA. Though TB is curable, but it is still the leading cause of death among PLWHA, hence there is need to: promote more collaborative TB-HIV initiatives; ensure the integration of TB in HIV intervention programs; increase funding for TB-HIV projects; create more awareness within the community on TB-HIV especially through media partnership; and ensure active civil society participation in TB-HIV policy-making and program implementation.

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