The President of the 76th Session of the General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, delivered today a pre-recorded statement at a Side Event on “Progress and Multi-sectoral Action towards Achieving Global Targets to End TB” co-organised by the Russian Federation and the World Health Organization.
In his statement, the President noted that despite world leaders’ commitments in 2018 and global actions in past years, the goal to ensure that 40 million people had access to diagnosis and treatment by 2022 was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, the President emphasized, we have to bear in mind that TB is treatable and TB-related deaths are preventable in most patients. He also underscored the urgency of identifying patients early and providing fast, cheap and accurate prognostic and diagnostic molecular tools.
He urged to mainstream the eradication of TB by 2035 with national COVID19 responses and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and for this purpose of doubling relevant funding while giving special attention to LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, where an undue burden is being carried.
The President pledged to work with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the World Health Organization, UN membership and civil society to initiate preparations for the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
24 September 2021
