MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT
After such an impressive year for The Union, for many different reasons, it is important to take the time to look back at everything we have accomplished in 2024.
Through our dedication, hard work and achievements we are building on The Union’s role as the leading scientific organisation and pathfinders that lung health needs. Most importantly, we’re maintaining progress towards The Union’s vision – a healthier world for all, free of tuberculosis and lung disease. Thank you to our members, colleagues and partners for the vital roles you’ve all played in this.
From changing WHO guidelines and identifying key improvements to drug-resistant TB management, to being awarded grants from the Global Fund in Myanmar and the Gates Foundation for an active case finding project in India to delivering another fantastic Union Conference. There are far too many achievements to mention, but below are just a few highlights.
Once again, we would like to say a massive thank all our members, colleagues and partners for everything you do. The fight against tuberculosis and lung disease is not easy, but through your tireless dedication to our cause, we will achieve our goal.
We’re excited by what 2025 is going to bring for The Union, but let’s pause for a moment to be proud of all you’ve accomplished this year.
Best wishes
Cassandra and Guy
Being the pathfinders that lung health needs
In 2024, we continued to push for the prioritisation of activities that will break the chain of transmission in order to end tuberculosis (TB). We called on the lung health community to be brave and recognise that the current strategy is not achieving the results we hope for – it is an active injustice. We need to change our approach if we are to win the fight against this infectious disease. There are no more excuses.
We have also been the pathfinders through our actions. For example, over the last three years, The Union has conducted operational research and been a strong advocate for the adoption of the “7-1-7” timeliness metric in TB screening and prevention strategies. In September, this approach, and the work of our Centre for Operational Research (COR), was recognised in the latest WHO Operational Handbook on Tuberculosis – Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment.
New Union leadership
We have made several senior leadership appointments during 2024, including Yen Phan as our Chief Finance and Administration Officer, Nidhi Bansal as our India Office Director and myself (Cassandra) as the Executive Director.
Driving evidence-based TB research and control
In 2024, The Union showcased our ability to lead ground-breaking research studies and TB control projects.
Our TB Department has led a series of research projects that have highlighted the need for improvements to be made to diagnosis and management of drug-resistant TB, management of child and adolescent TB and access to TB preventive treatment.
Several projects were launched, including:
- A new project aiming to implement a model of ending TB in urban settings, which focuses on active case finding and early diagnosis, in Hyderabad, India
- A study to improve the retention of people during TB preventive treatment in India, Bhutan, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka
- A project to better understand the missed opportunities to identify people with TB when they attend healthcare facilities in three French-speaking African countries
Our Myanmar team have also been awarded grants from the Global Fund for 2024-2026, enabling them to extend vital health initiatives in the country. This is all down to their commitment to care for those who need them most and ability to find innovative solutions to every challenge.
Sharing our expertise and knowledge
The Union continued to play a key role in the dissemination and implementation of the latest evidence and information.
Through our Training & Education Department, we delivered the first hybrid Principles of TB Care and Prevention course, with healthcare professionals attending from across Asia and Africa.
In collaboration with COR, the team also launched a course to help empower researchers in low- and middle-income countries develop a research grant proposal.
Separately, we have published the latest edition of The Union’s comprehensive operational research guide, which aims to build the skills of researchers in public health programmes.
In order to improve access to the Diagnostic CXR Atlas for Tuberculosis in Children: A Guide to Chest X-ray Interpretation (the Atlas) has been translated into Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, Mongolian and Vietnamese. These were produced with U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who we celebrated 20 years of partnership with this year.
Our journals are going from strength to strength, with IJTLD Open (our open access journal) fully up and running, and IJTLD ahead of schedule in terms of its impact factor, while also having a notable influence on policy making.
#UnionConf2025 and the World Conference on Tobacco Control is back
Over 4,000 delegates joined us in Bali, Indonesia for The Union World Conference on Lung Health, taking part in a program of 362 sessions and 2,227 presentations. The excitement, enthusiasm and energy in the room was clear to see.
It was a privilege to host the conference in a country with such a strong commitment to ending TB and we respectfully thank the Indonesian Government and Ministry of Health for their engagement and leadership.
We look forward to seeing you all at next year’s Union Conference in Copenhagen, from 18-22 November 2025. More details will be shared soon.
This year, we also announced that the World Conference on Tobacco Control is back 23-25 June 2025. Formerly known as the World Conference on Tobacco or Health, this is the leading conference on tobacco control, organised by The Union, with grant funding support from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Our unique ability to bring the global public health community together makes us the perfect organisation to re-establish this critical platform for tobacco control.
Dedication to our values
Thank you all our members and colleagues for embracing our reinvigorated values – quality, transparency, accountability, respect and independence. However, there are two people in particular who we would like to recognise with the 2024 Annual Values Award. They are:
- Lara Garrido, Director of Training & Education, for her continuous efforts in innovation and collaboration with colleague towards One Union
- Rakesh PS, Deputy Director of iDEFEAT TB, for representing The Union in multiple platforms and his compassion for fellow colleagues and community