Sandoz

The next two years, 2004 - 2005, are going to be very critical for reaching the WHA targets for 2005 (the 'process' targets of 70% case-detection and 85% cure rate). Globally, our current level of achievement is only about 37% in case-detection, and 83% with respect to cure. Meeting the 2005 targets will also be an essential first step towards reaching the 2015 Millennium Development Goals target (the epidemiological 'impact' target, which has been articulated as -- "to have halted and begun to reverse" the incidence of TB).

While much of global and regional TB advocacy to date has been directed, quite successfully, at resource mobilisation and strengthening political and governmental commitment, the time has now come for intensifying advocacy efforts which are specifically directed at engendering greater public commitment and participation in TB control/elimination.

In March 2004 the 2nd Stop TB Partners' Forum in New Delhi will be coinciding with World TB Day '04. Aside from being an opportunity for re-vitalising political commitment (at the Forum), the moment offers a unique opportunity to launch a provocative world-wide campaign for catalysing greater public participation in the global movement against TB.

However, the starting point for considering any overarching theme/strategy, especially if it is to be directed at mobilizing greater public commitment for TB, it is worthwhile to reflect on the following question:

How many people, other than those in the TB community, know that:

While there are no hard numbers, it is not difficult to surmise that public awareness and the involvement of civil society in the cause of Tuberculosis elimination has been less than optimal. Some of the reasons that can be attributed to this are:

Lack of a compelling and evocative theme/idea/message on TB that appeals to public imagination. The themes of the past two years -- " Stop TB, Fight Poverty " and " DOTS Cured Me, It Will Cure You Too ", were primarily directed at the TB community itself , and were not particularly compelling for the public at large .
Overall, the engagement between the media and the global movement against TB, has been directed at international readership. This has resulted in only a modest level of public debate and public engagement with the issue of TB at the local levels . Building regional/national media networks, to inform and initiate public debate within locally relevant contexts is emerging as a priority.
Aside from some exceptions, the communication campaigns run by most NTPs tend to focus largely on the bio-medical imperative (e.g. DOTS operations), rather than on a wider, more inclusive, social development agenda. This has generally led to campaigns with messages centred around urging patients to avail of DOTS services, rather than advocating for the TB issue as a whole.