Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly

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 Multi-stakeholder hearing in preparation of the GA high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis

8 May 2023

(As delivered)

 Madam Deputy Secretary-General, welcome onboard,

Dear Mr. Minister, thank you for joining us,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

As just mentioned, we gather here today to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time: ending the tuberculosis epidemic.

 

I commend the World Health Organization and the Stop TB Partnership for the support to my office for organizing this event. Thank you very much.

 

I also want to acknowledge the work of governments, civil societies, academia, businesses, and financial partners.

 

Thanks to your collective efforts, we have saved an estimated 74 million lives since 2000.

 

The 2018 Political Declaration has established an ambitious time-bound goal: to end the TB epidemic by 2030.

 

Many of you here today contributed to this landmark agreement and the implementation of the commitments made. Thank you very much to all of you.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Robert Koch discovered the bacteria of tuberculosis 141 years ago.

 

Alexander Fleming found the first version of antibiotics 95 years ago.

 

It has been shortly after the foundation of the United Nations that the mass vaccinations against TB has started.

 

Since then, significant progress has been made in several areas.

 

Yet, despite our achievements, we are off-track in our drive to reach the goals we set in Agenda 2030 or and in the 2018 Declaration.

 

TB is preventable and curable.

 

Yet, it remains one of the world’s cruelest infectious diseases.

 

The silent killer among us.

 

The latest Global TB Report estimates that 1.6 million people died in 2021 alone, while close to 11 million fell sick with the disease.

 

But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

 

One in two people with TB, and their households, face catastrophic effects.

 

We know that this epidemic thrives on inequity.

 

Poverty and undernutrition are known drivers to TB, especially in conflict settings and climate disasters.

 

Moreover, there is an unjust gap in access to health services that could prevent infection or treat the infected.

 

In addition, stigma and discrimination further deepen vulnerability to TB and hinder the response to it.

 

Advancing our action requires all specialists and decision-makers to work together.

 

To address the root causes of the TB epidemic, we need effective and robust prevention strategies.

 

To end the epidemic, we need safe and efficient vaccines capable of preventing infections by the new strains of bacteria.

 

I welcome the commitments and efforts to develop vaccines and antibiotics which are effective against the bacteria of today and tomorrow.

 

We must also ensure that all individuals, regardless of their background, have access to the necessary prevention, diagnostics and treatment options.

 

Options that are worthy for the 21st Century.

 

As we prepare for the second High-Level Meeting to end TB, it is vital that we hear from a diverse range of stakeholders – including people and communities affected by the disease.

 

Dear friends, your views and actions have been critical to advance the fight against TB.

 

Your engagement and inputs today can be crucial in achieving our goal: to have, after so many centuries, zero victims of tuberculosis.

 

I urge all Member States to reflect on the ideas shared here and to incorporate them into their thinking.

 

We must not let this treacherous killer continue to devastate lives and communities.

 

With science on our side and guided by equity and inclusivity, we have now the best chance ever to end the tuberculosis epidemic.

 

Let us not miss out on this chance.

 

I thank you.