30 June 2017 - Chisinau, Moldova - Two meetings held this week focused on addressing ending TB in high TB and DR-TB incident countries in the EECA region. A Regional Workshop on Application of Models in Assessing Cost and Impact of TB Programs in the EURO region held on 28-30 June was attended by 11 National TB Programme managers and their teams from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, world’s leading TB modelers, donors and partners. The workshop looked at innovative modelling and costing tools to achieve the targets of the End TB Strategy and Stop TB Partnership’s Global Plan to End TB 2016-2020. The tools will enable the 11 countries to develop robust National Strategic Plans addressing their burden, plan for future funding requests and advocacy at for increased national budgets. The meeting was organized by the Stop TB Partnership in collaboration with the Global Fund, WHO EURO and PAS (Center for Health Policies & Studies), Moldova.
A technical consultation of TB-REP partners in the 11 target countries from the EECA region followed from 30 June to 1 July, in order to discuss achievements so far and to launch the Blueprint: People Centered Model of Care for EECA Countries - developed by the European Respiratory Society, London School of Economics and Political Science, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, PAS and the Stop TB Partnership. The meeting, which was organized by the Centre of Policy and Studies in partnership with the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Ministry of Health of Moldova launched this Blueprint which includes policy options for an effective and efficient TB service delivery system that allows for a shift toward an outpatient care model with sustainable financing and aligned payment mechanisms.