Yes, we can end TB with community empowerment!
The World Health Organization (WHO) has coordinated the selection of new members to WHO’s Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis (CSTF-TB) for the period 2024 - 2025. From its inception in 2018, CSTF–TB played a pivotal role of bringing community voices to all WHO policy and guidelines development processes. WHO would like to express deep appreciation to the outgoing CSTF-TB members for their major contribution in boosting community engagement in efforts to end TB, the UNHLM and community engagement guidance development. The renewed taskforce will continue to serve as a platform for discussion and exchange with WHO, advising WHO on leveraging engagement with civil society and affected communities at all levels to implement the Guidance on engagement of communities and civil society to end tuberculosis and accelerate progress towards ending TB.
"WHO's Civil Society Task Force on TB is an important partner to advance the global TB response, bridging the gap between policy commitments and tangible action to make a difference for affected communities, as outlined in the political declaration of the second United Nations High-level Meeting on TB held in 2023,” said Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme. "I would like to thank the outgoing members for their contribution through a difficult time when we had to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, and I warmly welcome all new members and look forward to this strong collaboration."
The CSTF-TB brings the voices and priorities of communities and civil society from the grassroots to the national, regional and global levels; contributes in the development of WHO norms and standards; advises on advancing the implementation of WHO’s End TB Strategy and translating the political declaration of the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB into action; and facilitates strengthening collaboration between civil society and communities affected by TB and WHO, national TB programmes (NTPs) and stakeholders in efforts to end TB.
Twelve members were selected by an independent selection panel following a public call for applications. The process was transparent in line with WHO regulations. The selection considered the expertise and experience of the applicants, with deliberate efforts to ensure balance of representation in terms of geographical regions, gender, and the diversity of communities and civil society representatives. Members of the CSTF-TB will act in their individual capacities.
The twelve selected members are:
- Ms Ashna Ashesh, India
- Ms Handaa Enkh-Amgalan, Mongolia
- Dr Akramul Islam, Bangladesh
- Ms Victoria James, Zimbabwe
- Ms Yuliia Kalancha, Ukraine
- Dr Karina Kielmann, Belgium
- Dr Qader Qader Ghulam, Afghanistan
- Ms Ida Lea Savadogo Yugbare, Burkina Faso
- Dr Yassen Tcholakov, Canada
- Dr Helene-Mari Van der Westhuizen, South Africa
- Dr Luan Vo, Viet Nam
- Mr Timothy Wafula, Kenya