Libération Afrique - Solidarité internationale et luttes sociales - Global call to action for the 38th Annual Union World Conference on Lung Health

The 38th Annual Union World Conference on Lung Health is being held in Cape Town on the 8-12 November 2007. It is the first time in its 125-year history that the conference will be held outside of the northern hemisphere. This is important as Southern Africa is experiencing an extremely large and deadly TB epidemic, fuelled by a HIV epidemic. The response has been inadequate; new infections and needless deaths continue unabated.

We call on the delegates to adopt a Global Call for Action and Declaration on TB:

1. Every year TB kills more than 2 million people worldwide. In Southern Africa it is by far the greatest killer of people living with HIV.

2. In South Africa, over 70,000 death certificates recorded TB as a cause of death in 2005.

3. Despite regional governments declaring an emergency in 2005, TB control and AIDS programmes in Southern Africa are failing to adequately deal with the twin epidemics of TB and HIV.

4. This inadequate response is no longer acceptable.

5. Current diagnostic techniques and drugs are out-of-date; we need simpler, more effective and accessible tools for testing and treating TB.

6. TB prevention, care and treatment programmes must adopt a decentralized, patient-centred approach with treatment literacy, adherence support and community education.

7. More resources for TB research are desperately needed.

8. Provision of a decent public health system that is based on the right of every person to life, dignity, health and equality is the duty of every state and the advocacy work of every HIV/TB activist.

9. Access to decent housing, employment, social security and nutrition are indispensable to the elimination of tuberculosis.

10. The TB crisis has caused tremendous suffering and generated confusion, fear and stigma. Protecting public health is not incompatible with promoting a human-rights approach to dealing with this contagious epidemic. It requires a plan and community consultation not repressive measures against individuals.

11. Support services for health professionals and allied workers engaged in saving the lives of people living with TB must be researched and funded immediately.

12. This conference must serve as a platform for consensus on key issues related to the treatment, prevention and care of TB, including MDR and XDR TB. We must review and update our national TB and HIV plans and through partnerships commit the necessary resources to begin implementing the following key areas for action:

Improving infection control

Getting more people living with HIV tested for TB and people infected with TB tested for HIV

Integrating and decentralizing TB and HIV services

Preventing and treating drug resistant TB (MDR/XDR TB)

We demand vision, research, funding, action and activism on TB/HIV and the crisis in public health now!

Endorsed by: Agency for Cooperation and Research in Development Kenya / Africa Japan Forum Japan / African Civil Society Coalition on HIV and AIDS Nigeria / African Services Committee USA / AIDS Action Baltimore USA / AIDS Care Watch Campaign Japan / AIDS Institute USA / Association morocaine du lutte contrele SIDA Morocco / American Medical Students Association Africa Action, USA / AIDS Rights Alliance of Southern Africa Namibia / Artists for a New South Africa, USA / Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS Malaysia / Batanai HIV/AIDS Support Group Zimbabwe / Botswana Network on Ethics Law and HIV and AIDS Botswana / Canadian HIV and AIDS Legal Network Canada / Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project USA / Dignitas International- Canada / Economic Justice Network / EMPOWER India / Estonia Society for Positive People Estonia / European Aids Treatment Group Belgium / Cameron Psychology Association FOCAP Cameron / Gay And Lesbians of Zimbabwe / Health Global Access Project USA / Global Health Advocates Switzerland / Global Justice USA / Health Connection International USA / HIV Medicines Association USA / HIV/AIDS Task Force Japan Forum Japan / Humanity for Orphans, Youth and Widows Initiatives Kenya / i-BASE United Kingdom / African Council of AIDS Support Organisations Senegal / International Foundation for Alternative Research in AIDS USA / Kenya Treatment Access Movement Kenya / Lebanese AIDS Society- Lebanon / Loving Hand- Zimbabwe / Mother Africa and Child Care Organisation Ghana / Médecins Sans Frontieres / Dr. Michel Kazatchikine, CEO, Global Fund / National Council of Disabled People of Zimbabwe / National Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Rwanda / Panos Southern Africa, Zambia / Pan African Treatment Access Movement Morocco / Asian Peoples Alliance to Combat HIV/AIDS Malaysia / Pinoy Plus Association Inc. Philippines / Positive Action Foundation Philippines Inc. / Positive Families Network, USA / Positive Malaysian Malaysia / Project Inform USA / Project Ring Japan AIDS and Society Association Japan / SA Development Fund, USA / Southern African AIDS Information Dissemination Services Zimbabwe / Southern Africa Treatment Access Movement Zimbabwe / Stamp Out Poverty United Kingdom / Student Global AIDS Campaign USA / Tanzania Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS Tanzania / TB Patients Support Self Help Group Kenya / The Centre Zimbabwe / Universities Allied for Essential Medicines Canada / Women AIDS Support Network Zimbabwe / World Aids Campaign Netherlands / Zimbabwe Activists on HIV and AIDS Zimbabwe / Zimbabwe National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS Zimbabwe / Zimbabwe Network of Positive Women Zimbabwe / Endorsements from South African Organisations / AIDS Law Project / Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa / Economic Justice Network / Ekuphumeline ZION Church / Empilweni / Habonim Dror Southern Africa / Jewish Outlook / Nokwala Educare / Rape Crisis Centre – Khayelitsha / Sonke Gender Justice / South African Council of Churches / TB Care Association / Treatment Action Campaign / Umtha Welanga / Zibonele Radio Station