30 May 2017 - On May 6, 2017, the the Stop TB Partnership's GDF’s Country Operations Manager Andre Zagorski facilitated a full day session on Accelerated Access to New TB Medicines, Regimens, and Diagnostics: Challenges and Opportunities in Transition Supply Planning at a two-week course on Implementing the WHO End TB Strategy and the New Vision of TB Elimination: Skills for Managers and Consultants developed and managed by the WHO Collaborating Centre For Tuberculosis And Lung Diseases, Tradate, Italy.
The overall goal of the Course is to further develop the necessary skills to plan, implement and evaluate a TB control program based on the WHO End TB Strategy, with a special focus towards the 2016-2035 targets and goals’ and the ambitious vision of TB Elimination.
The GDF session focused on specific challenges related to rational and expedited introduction and uptake of new TB medicines and regimens, including forecasting and quantification, phase-in/phase-out supply planning, and early warning systems based on QuanTB-4 tool to avoid stock-outs, treatment interruptions, or waste of essential TB products. Participants of the course actively engaged in discussions, shared challenges and lessons learned from the introduction of new TB tools in their countries, and learned how to use QuanTB through practical exercises based on real country case studies.
The Course was attended by 16 participants representing 11 countries and wide variety of organizations and institutions engaged in TB control, including National TB programs, the Global Fund Principal Recipients, health and medicines supply facilities.