Over 200 representatives from countries, partners and civil society came together virtually at the Global Meeting of the Working Group Meeting on Public-Private Mix (PPM) on TB prevention and care on 2-3 December. The Meeting was convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop TB Partnership with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Fund. The meeting was opened by Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme and Dr Madhukar Pai, Chair of the Stop TB PPM Working Group and Associate Director of the McGill International TB Centre. TB survivor Handaa Enkh-Amgalan shared her journey combating TB as a child, and called for affordable, equitable and stigma-free access to quality TB prevention and care in both the private and public sectors.
Key speakers and participants at the meeting:
- Reviewed global, regional and national progress in prioritizing PPM to close gaps in access to prevention and care services including through the roll-out of the PPM roadmap.
- Shared best practices and innovations in private sector TB service delivery in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Discussed ongoing efforts to strengthen PPM monitoring and accountability, including through data dashboards.
- Charted the way forward and identified key priorities for the PPM Working Group for the coming year, including preparations for the 2023 UN High Level Meeting on TB.