Empower people affected by TB and local communities

For a successful and sustainable TB response, it is essential that TB-affected communities and civil society are meaningfully engaged at every stage. This includes the prioritization, implementation, monitoring, review, advocacy, and governance of TB interventions. To end TB, these communities must be empowered, capacitated, and funded to actively participate and lead in the fight against the disease.

Meaningful engagement should focus specifically on TB survivors and TB vulnerable populations who face unique challenges in accessing TB services. These groups need targeted investment and capacity-building to strengthen community systems at the local, national, regional, and global levels.

The Stop TB Partnership has played a pivotal role in supporting the development of strong global, regional, and national networks of TB-affected communities and activists. This includes partnerships with organizations such as TBpeople, the Global Coalition of TB Activists (GCTA), TB Women, Dynamique de la Réponse d'Afrique Francophone sur la Tuberculose (DRAF TB), the African Coalition on Tuberculosis (ACT), Activists' Coalition on TB Asia-Pacific (ACT! AP), the Americas TB Coalition, and the TB Europe Coalition (TBEC), to name just a few.

At the global level, the Stop TB Partnership has been a trailblazer in promoting meaningful community engagement in governance. This has included supporting the formation of NGO, vulnerable populations and affected community delegations to the Stop TB Partnership Board, which lead coordination and communications on global TB governance. These delegations have been instrumental in driving community accountability, notably through initiatives like the development of the A Deadly Divide: TB Commitments vs. TB Realities report.

At the country level, the Stop TB Partnership continues to support the engagement of TB-affected communities through initiatives like the Challenge Facility for Civil Society (CFCS). Additionally, it facilitates partnerships between TB-affected communities and National TB Programs to conduct stigma and other human rights barriers assessments, implement community-led monitoring, and participate in TB program reviews.

By ensuring that TB-affected communities are not only heard but also supported and empowered, we can create a more inclusive and effective response to end TB.