WHO meet: SE Asia health ministers seek to end TB

The health ministers of countries in WHO South-East Asia Region on Tuesday said they are committed to renew and accelerate efforts to end tuberculosis, in view of the pandemic disrupting services and leading to an increase in TB cases in the already high-burden region.

The ministers agreed to increase budgetary and human resource allocations including upfront investments required to catch up on lost ground during the Covid-19 pandemic. An estimated $3 billion may be needed annually to implement a comprehensive set of interventions to end TB in the region.

At the day-long meeting held virtually, the health ministers signed on a 'ministerial statement of commitment' unanimously committing to actualize and intensify essential interventions. The meeting was organized by ministries of health of India, Indonesia, and Nepal and WHO South-East Asia Regional Office.


The ministerial statement called for ensuring the highest attainable standards of rights-based, stigma-free, quality-assured and people-centric services. It said preventive, diagnostic, treatment, rehabilitative and palliative care, should be accessible to all including migrants, prisoners, children, the aged and other high-risk populations.