The President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, convened an interactive civil society hearing will on 4 June 2018 at the United Nations in New York, as part of the preparatory  process for the UN high-level meeting on tuberculosis (UN HLM). The hearing was requested in the modalities resolution for the UN HLM adopted yesterday by the UN General Assembly

Through the hearing, organized by the Office of the President of the General Assembly, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop TB Partnership, civil society and other stakeholders contributed to preparation for an impactful high-level meeting. The participants provided their vision and recommendations to members of the UN General Assembly for the high-level meeting. The hearing was well attended, with over 400 registrants including representatives of civil society, parliamentarians, non-governmental organizations, academia, medical associations and the private sector, as well as people affected by TB and broader communities. 

Underscoring the commitment at the highest level to civil society, the Hearing was opened by top leadership from the UN and partners. The President of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák highlighted that progress to end TB needs to get on track, and emphasized the need for a political declaration that goes beyond just words and that can translate into action. Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the importance of addressing the social drivers of the disease, including poverty, inequality, migration, and of building multisectoral linkages. 

WHO Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases, Dr. Ren Minghui, shared the message of Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressing WHO’s strong commitment to engagement with civil society and affected communities in efforts to end TB both in the lead up to the UNHLM and beyond. Dr Lucica Ditiu, Executive Director of the Stop TB Partnership called for the concrete engagement of Heads of State and Government towards ending TB. The United Nations Special Envoy on TB, Dr. Eric Goosby highlighted the role of activists and communities as extraordinary agents of change, especially in days of despair and hope in the fight to end TB. Ms. Ingrid Schoeman, a member of TB Proof, shared her story about surviving multidrug-resistant TB thanks to quality medical care and support from her family. 

Four interactive panels framed thematic discussions: Reaching all people ill and affected by TB; Financing, Innovation, and Partnerships to prioritize communities in an equitable, person-centred, rights-based response. The panels were led by Dr. Joanne Carter, Executive Director, RESULTS in the US and Deputy Chair Stop TB Partnership Board, Ms. RD Marte, Executive Director, APCASO, Mr. Wim Vandevelde, Global Network of People Living with HIV and Mr. Allan Maleche, Executive Director, KELIN, along with introductory personal stories from TB survivors expressing their expectations and hopes from the UNHLM.

The Global Coalition of TB Activists also launched the publication “Women & Stigma”: stories exploring stigma faced by people affected by TB. The asks by civil society at the Hearing were aligned with the outcome areas of the Moscow Declaration to End TB which was adopted by Ministers of Health in November 2017.

The Closing segment of the Hearing was led by the co-facilitators of the UNHLM on TB - H.E. Mr. Koro Bessho, Permanent Representative of Japan and H.E. Dr. Aubrey Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda, who appreciated the inputs from all stakeholders and indicated their intention to guide Member States to an ambitious and actionable political declaration. The President of the General Assembly closed the Hearing, reflecting on personal stories shared by TB survivors that revealed the human side of the struggle against TB and its devastating impact, especially on the most vulnerable.

Two side events were also held at the side-lines of the Hearing, hosted by UNAIDS and Treatment Action Group.