The Union will reopen its office in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Kinshasa this spring to support a new Challenge TB grant that will focus on improving access to high-quality, patient-centred care for TB, TB-HIV and MDR-TB; preventing TB transmission and disease progression; and strengthening platforms for delivering TB services in the DRC.
Challenge TB is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to reduce TB’s impact in countries dealing with high burdens of the disease. Over the next five years, USAID will invest US $525 million dollars in the global fight against tuberculosis through Challenge TB. An international consortium of leading organisations, including The Union, will be implementing this new global programme.
The new Director of The Union Democratic Republic of Congo Office will be Dr Jean Pierre Kabuayi. He will be charged with ensuring the effective implementation of the project and serve as the primary technical liaison with other Challenge TB partners, both locally and internationally.
A DRC national, Dr Kabuayi started his career in general medicine, but he soon saw the need for effective TB and TB-HIV treatment and focused his attention on these issues. In his role as Director, he will take on new responsibilities within The Union, but he is no stranger to the organisation. Through his work for the DRC’s National Tuberculosis Programme, he has collaborated with The Union for over 10 years on projects involving technical assistance, research and the development of treatment programmes.
“With the support of The Union, we made incredible progress in the fight against tuberculosis in the DRC, including implementing the integrated HIV model into the TB diagnostic and treatment centres, and researching the effects of tuberculosis in people living with HIV”, says Dr Kabuayi. “These experiences left me with a desire to continue developing my work with The Union.”
The Union DRC Office closed temporarily when the European Commission-funded Integrated HIV Care for Tuberculosis Patients Living With HIV/AIDS (IHC) Programme concluded in 2012.
Photo: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe