Report of the 7th TB/HIV Core Group Meeting
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 21 September 2004
Main recommendations from the 6th Core Group Meeting
The meeting started with a brief report from the Secretariat on progress made on the main recommendations from the 6th Core Group meeting and latest developments:
- Core Group members were reminded to support briefing country delegations for next year's World Health Assembly Resolution related to National TB Programme's (NTP) responsibility in ensuring HIV-infected TB patients to receive anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment.
- Positive developments in advocacy have been Nelson's Mandela statement in the AIDS Conference in Bangkok, the development and publication of the UNAIDS Information package, and the liaison between the TB Partnership and the Massive Effort Campaign for media work around the 4th Working Group meeting.
- Country level collaboration is underway with the Futures Group to mainstream TB/HIV in HIV/AIDS advocacy of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) groups, which has largely facilitated the involvement of community groups in the activities of the Working Group.
- Cost requirements for collaborative TB/HIV activities have been finalized.
- Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) is taking the lead with WHO to develop a document on TB infection control that will soon be disseminated.
- The TB/HIV team in WHO is involved in the coming induction of 3 by 5 officers.
- WHO will host a meeting on TB/HIV research including Izoniazid Preventive Therapy (IPT) and drug interactions on the week of 14 February 2005. It was suggested to hold the next Core Group meeting back to back during that week.
Presentation and discussion on the agenda items followed.