WHO End TB Strategy and UN-HLM on TB promises
The WHO End TB Strategy provides an opportunity for greater alignment of efforts to fight both the TB and tobacco epidemics. Likewise, the world leaders who met at the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meeting in 2023, adopted a political declaration in which one of the action points is to effectively integrate tobacco control and TB control at the primary care level. There is no excuse for inaction. We must translate the WHO End TB Strategy and UNHLM on TB promises in ground realities now.
Government commitment and investment are essential for joint strategic policy development, planning, implementation, and monitoring. Elimination of tobacco smoking among TB patients will go a long way towards the elimination of TB.
In addition to cessation support through regular TB services, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and other medications can be included in the comprehensive package care for people with TB to improve quality of the services they receive. Stopping smoking or tobacco use has benefits at the individual and population level and go beyond fighting TB. Multisectoral efforts to stop tobacco use also support the non-communicable disease agenda. The support of TB control programmes to strengthen the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control is critical (legally binding global tobacco treaty) and will support the national TB programme targets to end TB in line with the WHO End TB Strategy and ultimately the SDGs.
Dr Tara Singh Bam
(Dr Tara Singh Bam is Asia Pacific Director for Tobacco Control at Vital Strategies. He has earlier served the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) as Asia Pacific Regional Director. Dr Bam is an honorary columnist with CNS (Citizen News Service) and a noted public health expert based in Singapore)
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