On November 3rd, heads of national TB Caucuses from Kazakhstan and Ukraine met online to discuss experiences from both countries in tackling TB and helping ensure the protection and strengthening of TB services in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to travel restrictions, previously planned bilateral and multilateral delegations could not be conducted. However, with the help of regional partners, the Global TB Caucus Secretariat moved those encounters online, focusing on parliamentary engagement at the national level.
Indeed, national progresses on TB need to be shared among countries to improve TB and COVID-19 response and foster regional collaboration. Such a statement was approved by heads of national TB Caucuses of the EECA region on October 13th, and put in practice during this bilateral meeting between Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
A variety of topics were contemplated and discussed by Lada Bulakh (Ukraine MP) and Zauresh Amanjolova (Kazakhstan MP), including the promotion of legislative support for TB patients, and the necessity to promote TB in the budget adoption process, for increased TB funding and of course, protecting the interests of TB patients in the context of COVID-19.
The two MPs agreed on several following action points such as the national adoption of the EECA regional resolution on TB and COVID-19, the organization of a national TB stakeholders meeting in Kazakhstan and the continuity of this regional exchange between countries. They took the occasion to share political analysis and compared social and political environments in the scope of national CSO engagement and community support.
This meeting was held as part of the TB-REP 2.0, a project funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and implemented by the Center for Health Policies and Studies (PAS Center) of the Republic of Moldova as the principal recipient, in collaboration with partners: WHO/Europe, Global TB Caucus, TB Europe Coalition and TB People.