Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS who have a valid UN Security ... provide a platform to elicit actions that will transform the
ORGANIZED BY: WHO, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE STOP TB PARTNERSHIP
BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis continues to pose a significant challenge to the HIV response. In an era of ART scale-up, TB is still the main cause of hospitalization and deaths among people living with HIV. In 2014 a third of all HIV-related deaths were estimated to be due to TB. Evidence from post mortem studies suggests high rates of TB (63%) among HIV infected individuals, nearly half of which were undetected prior to death. Recent developments in diagnostic technology such as Xpert MTB/RIF and LF-LAM urine test, and new diagnostic algorithms hold promise for fast-tracking patients to life-saving treatment and for reducing mortality. Global policies and technical guidelines have been developed but require urgent national adoption, implementation and scale-up. Bold targets for HIV are included in the Fast Track Strategy to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 and implicit in these targets is the urgent need to address HIV-associated TB. A correspondingly bold target of 75% reduction in TB deaths among people living with HIV by 2020, and aligned with the End TB Strategy targets, is set in the Health Sector Strategy on HIV. Achieving these ambitious targets requires unprecedented and intensified efforts to scale up
HIV and TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment services for people living with HIV, their families and community members. This cannot be achieved without firm commitment at the highest political level, strong country ownership and adequate investments for implementation. The 2016 High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS (HLM) provides a unique opportunity to highlight the problem of HIV-associated TB at the highest political level, and to craft actions that will end the unacceptably high level of deaths among people living with HIV due to a curable disease. It will also create an opportunity to renew commitment from national governments and other critical stakeholders to catalyse action and eliminate TB deaths among people living with HIV. The World Health Organization, in collaboration with The Stop TB Partnership will be convening a Ministerial Panel in conjunction with the 2016 HLM. Attendance is open for delegates attending the UN High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS who have a valid UN Security Grounds Pass.
OBJECTIVES OF THE MEETING: The overall aim of the meeting is to catalyse and intensify efforts in the response to end TB deaths among people living with HIV through firm political commitment, strong country ownership and adequate investments. It is also intended to highlight and bring into focus the problem of HIV-associated TB at the HLM as well as to provide a platform to elicit actions that will transform the implementation of policies and strategies.
CONVENOR: Eric Goosby, UN Special Envoy on Tuberculosis PANEL SPEAKERS
DISCUSSANTS
Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health, South Africa and Chair of the Board of the Stop TB Partnership Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health, Nigeria
Ariel Pablos-Méndez, USAID Elhadj As Sy, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Deborah L Birx, PEPFAR Thokozile Beatrex Nkhoma, Community representative Mark Dybul, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria
AGENDA Chair: UN Special Envoy on TB, Eric Goosby 07:45
Breakfast at the Vienna Café
08:15
Welcome remarks on behalf of WHO and general overview
Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General for HIV, TB, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, WHO
Welcome remarks on behalf of the Stop TB Partnership followed by South Africa’s perspective
Aaron Motsoaledi, Chair of the Board of the Stop TB Partnership and Minister of Health, South Africa
Perspective from Ethiopia
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia
Perspective from Nigeria
Isaac Adewole Minister of Health, Nigeria
08:50
Discussants USAID
Ariel Pablos-Méndez, Assistant Administrator for Global Health, Child and Maternal Survival Coordinator
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Elhadj As Sy, Secretary General
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Deborah L Birx, Global AIDS Coordinator & U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy
Malawi Interfaith AIDS Association
Thokozile Beatrex Nkhoma, SAVE Campaign Coordinator
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria
Mark Dybul, Executive Director
09:15
Discussion and conclusion
Eric Goosby, UN Special Envoy on TB
09:30
Meeting ends
