ASIATODAY.ID, NEW YORK – Indonesia initiated the formation of a global alliance at the United Nations (UN), to encourage consistent treatment of tuberculosis (TB).
This Indonesian initiative is supported by Poland, the Philippines and Nigeria who are together as Co-Chairs of the Alliance, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO). To date, a total of 22 countries have joined the Alliance.
“Our efforts to fight tuberculosis have been going on for a long time, but there is no single UN framework that routinely and consistently encourages attention to tuberculosis,” said Indonesia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Arrmanatha Nasir, in his opening speech at the Launching of the Alliance of Countries on the Fight against Tuberculosis, in New York, United States, February 2, 2024.
WHO welcomed the initiative, providing full support to make the Alliance the main driver of TB discussions at the UN. The Alliance can be utilized as a means for renewal, exchanging views, and sharing experiences and knowledge to increase awareness among decision makers about health issues in New York.
Alliances can also be an important component in the TB management architecture at the global level.
Werner Obermeyer, Director of WHO in New York, highlighted the obstacles in developing TB vaccines globally. Although five companies are clinically testing a TB vaccine, political support from countries is needed to speed up the completion of the vaccine.
In his response, Poland’s UN Ambassador, Krzysztof Szczerski, expressed his appreciation for Indonesia’s leadership in forming this Alliance.
He said that early 2024 was the right time to intensify efforts, especially after the adoption of the UN Political Declaration to fight TB in 2023.
Similar voices also came from the Philippine Ambassador to the UN, Antonio Manuel Lagdameo, and Nigeria’s Ad-Interim Representative to the UN, Bola Asaju. Although several countries have actively engaged in TB management with testing and tracing, implementation of global commitments still requires further encouragement.
The launch of the Alliance was appreciated by UN member countries, even before that, 22 countries had joined, reflecting a global commitment to addressing the TB challenge with concrete steps. (AT Network)
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