WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia organised a Regional MDR-TB Advisory Committee (rGLC) meeting on “Ending MDR-TB in the South-East Asia Region” from 25 to 26 February 2019. This was the 11th rGLC meeting and first of the reconstituted committee.
Participation was invited from 11 rGLC members, MDR-TB focal points from 6 High-burden countries, partners like Civil Society and affected communities’ representatives, the Global Fund, Stop TB Partnership's Global Drug Facility (GDF), Stop TB Partnership and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). List of participants is attached at the end of the report along with the agenda of the meeting.
The objectives of the meeting included discussions on roles and responsibilities of the members, review of progress in DR-TB services in the Region and recommendations on way forward. Dr Fraser Wares was elected as Chair of the rGLC while Ms Paransarimita Winarni was elected as Vice Chair at the start of the meeting. The two-day meeting included sessions on background information, partner support in the Region, planning transition to new drugs and regimen, donor support, community support for ending TB, updates on research in the field and final session on planning activities
Some of the key action points for rGLC members include development/ adoption of an OR protocol for standardised data collection on studies for all-oral shorter regimen; checklists to support rGLC consultants; review of mission reports as and when available; develop advocacy message to be shared with all member states for the introduction of new drugs and regimens, including transition to the 2019 WHO Guidelines on DR-TB treatment consider ‘data for action’ workshop to help countries use the available data in establishing strategic priorities
Key action points for rGLC secretariat include development of an inventory of partners engaged in PMDT work in the SEA Member States; develop a summary of common areas of concern across the different Member States and proposed actions; organise a Webinar for all members once every two months; undertake a laboratory capacity assessment for Member States and share with rGLC members and share available information on aDSM status in countries, based on the workshop conducted last year. Organise a follow-up workshop to last year’s workshop to share experiences and develop/amend framework plans for the implementation of aDSM in member states.
Meeting report attached.rGLC meeting report 2019_final