On October 27, 2016, in Liverpool, UK, Treatment Action Group, Advanced Access & Delivery, Harvard Medical School, Partners In Health, and the Stop TB Partnership sponsored a symposium in conjunction with the Union World Conference on Lung Health.
The symposium, “Stop Double Standards: From Prevention through Cure to ZERO TB,” focused on biomedical TB prevention and in treating drug-resistant TB. We know both of these areas are essential to an effective TB response, yet very large disparities in recommendations and services for TB prevention and drug-resistant TB care persist between limited and well-resourced settings. Opening and closing speakers provided overviews on the scientific, human rights, and patient perspectives on the importance of ending double standards in TB prevention and drug-resistant TB care. Two panels composed of legal, activist, implementer, and researcher experts further discussed and provided ideas for a way forward. Question and answer sessions followed each panel.
1) Dr. Salmaan Keshavjee, senior TB clinician, Partners In Health and Director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Global Health Delivery
2) Enrique Delgado, XDR-TB survivor
3) Panel on preventive therapy
Moderated by Lynette Mabote, regional TB, HIV & human rights advocacy leader, AIDS & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa
Featuring Ketho Angami, ex-president, Nagaland Users Network, India
Prof. Gavin Churchyard, group CEO, Aurum Institute
Dr. Thando Ngomane, deputy head responsible for clinical services, Ethekwini municipality, South Africa
4) Panel on MDR-TB
Moderated by Timur Abdullaev, TB activist and Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board member, Uzbekistan
Featuring Dr. Karen Brudney, senior expert advisor on TB, CDC and Columbia University Medical School Division of Infectious Diseases faculty
Julia Kalancha, advocacy manager, Patients of Ukraine
Dr. Brenda Waning, chief, Global Drug Facility