Professor Guy Marks, President and Interim Executive Director, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)
“The urgency to act has never been greater, as the latest global figures show that TB incidence is rising in high-burden settings, reversing declines of the past two decades.
“We must focus our efforts on evidence-based approaches to end TB. While continuing to seek better tools – more accurate tests, more effective and safer medicines and vaccines – we must move forward with the tools we have if we have any chance of getting back on track and achieving the fast-approaching 2030 End TB targets.
“It’s great to see that the combination of the existing tools and all our hard work has resulted in 7.5 million people being diagnosed with TB in 2022. The highest figure since global TB records began global in 1995.
“The energy and commitments achieved at UN high-level meeting on TB in September must result in effective strategies, meaningful actions and significant investment. Without this we will inevitably continue to miss our targets. Major advances in diagnostics and treatments in the past few years mean that we are running out of excuses for not achieving these targets. We must find all TB to end TB in high burden settings. Stopping TB infection at its source, is the key.
“We urge world leaders and donors to prioritise science and evidence-based policy in our mission to end TB. To achieve this we must nurture an environment and culture where dogma is questioned, innovation and ambition are encouraged, and the pathway for translation from research to implementation in practice and policy is cleared.”
ENDS
Notes to editor
About The Union
Established in 1920, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) is committed to creating a healthier world for all, free of tuberculosis and lung disease.
The Union is the world’s first global health organisation and a global leader in ending TB. Its members, staff, and consultants work in more than 140 countries.
The Union strives to end suffering due to tuberculosis and lung diseases, old and new, by advancing better prevention and care. It seeks to achieve this by the generation, dissemination, and implementation of knowledge into policy and practice.
The Union aims to ensure that no one is left behind, people are treated equally and we have a focus on vulnerable and marginalised populations and communities.
Website: www.theunion.org
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