The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Russian Federation are organizing an official UN General Assembly virtual side-event: PROGRESS AND MULTISECTORAL ACTION TOWARDS ACHIEVING GLOBAL TARGETS TO END TB on 23 September from 10:00H – 12:00H EDT (16:00H-18:00H CEST).
The event will bring together Heads of State, Ministers of Health and other ministries, Heads of Agencies, partners and civil society, to discuss how we can collectively implement the recommendations outlined in the 2020 progress report of the UN Secretary General on reaching global TB targets and advancing multisectoral action to end TB. A spotlight will also be placed on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on progress towards ending TB.
Background:
Despite progress over the last decades, TB remains the leading infectious killer worldwide, claiming nearly 4000 lives a day. To accelerate action to end TB, Heads of State came together at the first-ever UN high-level meeting on TB in September 2018. The meeting resulted in an action-oriented political declaration that included bold targets to close gaps in care, and a request to the UN Secretary General for a 2020 report on progress towards achieving targets and implementation of the UN political declaration on TB.
The 2020 progress report of the UN Secretary-General to the General Assembly has been developed with the support of the WHO Director-General and will be released at the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly. It incorporates inputs from partners and civil society and covers, progress towards global TB targets; progress in translating commitments into action; the impact and implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the TB response and ten priority recommendations. The report will inform a comprehensive review at a high-level meeting on TB in 2023. Overall, the report shows that high-level commitments and targets have galvanized global and national progress towards ending TB, but that urgent and more ambitious investments and actions are required to put the world on track to reach targets, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO modelling and analysis highlights that the progress made in the fight against TB is at risk– COVID-19 disruptions to TB services will lead to an increase in 400,000 TB deaths worldwide in 2020 alone.
Join us for a special UN General Assembly virtual side event to
discuss
how we can collectively implement the recommendations outlined in the
2020 progress report of the UN Secretary-General on reaching global TB
targets and advancing multisectoral action to end TB.
Key speakers include Heads of State, Ministers of Health, WHO
leadership, Heads of Agencies, partners and civil society
representatives.
*Connection details to be provided on registration.
Download the flyer and promote on social media, here.
