Stop TB Partnership and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced today the signing of the MoU between the two organizations that took place during the ‘INSPIRE Health Forum’ organized by ADB.
After more than a year of engagement against a backdrop of challenges, reduced funding, and competing priorities, the MoU with ADB brings renewed hope linked to innovative financing for TB response.
Through this cooperation agreement ADB and Stop TB Partnership agreed to cooperate in: joint support for national capacity building on the strengthening of health systems for future pandemic preparedness and response and climate resilient health systems, including community health systems to address the impact of climate change on TB; ensuring engagement with country governments and technical assistance on financing for TB response, research and development of new TB treatments, vaccines, screening and diagnostic tools in ADB’s developing member countries; improving access to affordable and quality TB medications and treatments; activities to strengthen global health security and development and implementation of regional cooperation mechanisms for TB prevention, control and treatment, including cross-border surveillance systems and harmonized treatment protocols.
Stop TB will work with the ADB and other partners to ensure that several TB high-burden countries (HBCs) have their National Strategic Plans (NSPs) towards ending TB, funded and implemented in full alignment and coordination with other health sector priorities and national agendas, including on preparation for future pandemics and preparedness, and securing climate-resilient health systems.
Discussions and plans for future work will advance during the Stop TB Board meeting that the ADB, together with the Department of Health of the Republic of the Philippines, will co-host in Manila, 29-31 October 2025.
Dr Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director - Stop TB Partnership, said, “I am particularly happy with signing this MoU because we share with the ADB team the same values and forward thinking, and it is encouraging to go ahead together in supporting country programmes in their efforts to end TB, Malaria and other diseases. In general, when people think of a bank, is always linked to money. But it is much more than money – the common agenda, increasing efficiencies, leveraging each other, and the know-how that is so important for TB response. We go through challenges for TB response, we are afraid that we will lose our gains, we worry that everything we achieved through years of hard work will disappear. This is why the $3 billion that ADB will put into the climate resilient health system and our MoU are so important.”
Ms Ayako Inagaki, Senior Director signed the MoU on behalf of ADB. She said, “This MoU underscores ADB’s commitment to supporting our Developing Member Countries or DMCs build sustainable and resilient health systems, deliver more inclusive health outcomes. Tuberculosis continues to place a heavy burden on many of our DMCs. Working with the Stop TB Partnership, ADB will help DMCs strengthen health systems, expand access to essential TB services as an integral part of universal health coverage, and accelerate progress toward national and global health goals, particularly elimination of TB as a public health threat.”
