New Tools, New Challenges, New Approaches to Improving TB Diagnosis and Treatment

Featured Speakers:

Years of investments in research are finally bearing benefits, including diagnosis closer to the point of care and injectable-free, shorter treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB. Now more than ever, activist leadership to close TB diagnosis and treatment gaps is essential as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic threatens our communities and years of hard fought progress in TB.

Treatment Action Group (TAG) recently launched the two latest additions to our series of materials designed for community leaders, An Activist’s Guide to Treatment for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis and An Activist’s Guide to Tuberculosis Diagnostic Tools.

The series was broken out into two webinars, on September 2 and 3, 2020.  The first webinar, focused on treatment for drug-resistant TB, was held on September 2nd, and the second webinar, focused on TB diagnostic tools, was held on September 3rd.

September 2nd, 2020
An Activist’s Guide to Treatment for Drug-Resistant TB

• Introduction, Lindsay McKenna, Treatment Action Group (TAG)
• A Decade+ in the Making: All-oral, Short-course Regimens for DR-TB, Dr. Jennifer Furin, Harvard Medical School
• Mobilizing Political Will to Close Gaps and Intensify the Response to DR-TB, Sharonann Lynch, Médecins Sans Frontières Access Campaign (MSF)
• Gaps in the DR-TB Cascade of Care & Proposed Actions for Addressing Obstacles Faced by Affected Communities, Paran Winarni, Pejuang Tangguh (PETA), Indonesia
• Ensuring Access to the DR-TB Treatments of Today and Tomorrow, Prathibha Sivasubramanian, Third World Network
• Question and Answer Segment, Facilitated by Lynette Mabote, Treatment Action Group (TAG)

September 3rd, 2020
An Activist’s Guide to Tuberculosis Diagnostic Tools
Due to a technical difficulty this webinar recording is not available; we apologize for any inconvenience. Please refer to the webinar transcript (download link under Presentations). 

• Introduction, David Branigan, Treatment Action Group (TAG)
• The Highest Standard of Care for TB Diagnosis: The Tools We Have and How They Should Be Used Together, Dr. Madhukar Pai, McGill University
• Accessing Diagnostic Testing for TB and DR-TB at the Community Level: Challenges and Proposed Solutions, Adebola Tope Adams, Nigeria TB People
• Translating Policy into Practice: Scaling Up Rapid Molecular Tests as the Initial TB Test for All & LAM Testing among PLWHA, Stijn Deborggraeve, MSF Access Campaign
• Opportunities and Challenges for TB Diagnostics Advocacy in the Context of COVID-19: Holding Actors Accountable & Mobilizing Political Will for Action, Blessina Kumar, Global Coalition of TB Activists (GCTA)
• Question and Answer Segment, Facilitated by Lynette Mabote, Treatment Action Group (TAG)