Recovering from the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic and Accelerating to Achieving the United Nations General Assembly Tuberculosis Targets

Abstract

In 2020, the novel COVID-19 pandemic replaced TB as the world’s top cause of death from an infectious disease. The October 21, 2020 the UN Secretary-General report on progress towards implementation of the UNHLM political declaration on TB stresses that although high-level commitments and targets had galvanized global and national progress towards ending TB, urgent and more ambitious investments and actions were required, especially in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic where associated public health measures and travel restrictions, have disrupted health services universally. The report sets out 10 priority recommendations to get the world on track to reach agreed targets by 2022. Political commitment is more critical than ever. COVID-19 diagnostic and vaccination health services need to be aligned to TB and HIV services with active early case finding in communities, engaging the private sector care providers and mitigation of fear and stigma. Healthcare staff and community workers and leaders need to be provided with COVID-19 vaccination and personal protective equipment. The UNHLM declaration committed to mobilize 15 billion USD per annum for TB, of which 13 billion USD for TB care and 2 billion USD per annum for TB R&D. The Global Fund needs to increase funding for TB. Learning from the unprecedented speed of COVID-19 vaccine development, fastracking development and evaluation of TB vaccines is essential. World leaders need to urgently address and reverse the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and these will determine to what extent they will impact on achieving TB targets.

Challenges in TB control and the anticipated COVID-19 third wave: Way forward

“…Currently, available COVID-19 vaccines have definitely reduced the severity of the disease, hospitalization and death. As we scale up COVID-19 testing and vaccination drive, learning from the unprecedented speed of developing these vaccines, emphasis must be placed on fast-tracking the development of TB preventive vaccines on a mission mode [ 8 , 9 ]. Only such a strategy can help achieve India’s TB elimination targets, five years ahead of the rest of the world.…”

Evidence of TB Diagnostic Services at Primary Healthcare Level During COVID-19: A Scoping Review Protocol

“…Although progress is being made, the current numbers suggest that ending TB by 2035 is unattainable [2,12]. It is possible that the small gains made toward controlling TB were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing the 2035 goals further into the future [6,13].…”

“…Reaching these missing people through rapid TB diagnostic services, preferably at primary healthcare level (PHC), can help to end the TB epidemic [2,5]. In 2020, COVID-19 emerged, hindering global TB control efforts [6], particularly screening and diagnostics services [7,8]. These services suffered a sharp decline due to lockdowns limiting access to healthcare and a rise in fear and stigma since the advent of COVID-19 [7,9,10].…”

“…The 2020 TB global health report shows that 2020 milestones were not met [2]. Similarly, the United Nations (UN) set targets to diagnose and treat 40 million additional people by 2022 [6]. Although progress is being made, the current numbers suggest that ending TB by 2035 is unattainable [2,12].…”

World Tuberculosis Day 2021 Theme — ‘The Clock is Ticking’ — and the world is running out of time to deliver the United Nations General Assembly commitments to End TB due to the COVID-19 pandemic

“…These include closely aligning and optimizing COVID-19 and MDR-TB algorithms and improving clinical capacity to offer rapid diagnosis, quality treatment and follow up, and ensuring availability of quality, regular supply of cost-free TB drugs (for both DS-TB and MDR-TB) through improved procurement and distribution of TB drugs. Sahu et al (2021) remind us that it has been over two years since global leaders signed the UN General Assembly high level meeting on TB (UNGA-HLM-TB) declaration which committed to mobilize 15 billion USD per annum for TB, 13 billion USD for TB care and 2 billion USD per annum for TB R&D (UNGA, 2018). They point out that the follow up October 21, 2020 UN Secretary-General report (UNGA, 2020) on progress towards implementation of the UNHLM political declaration on TB stresses that although highlevel commitments and targets had galvanized global and national progress towards ending TB, urgent and more ambitious investments and actions were required, especially in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic where associated public health measures and travel restrictions, have disrupted health services universally.…”