The Hill: We have the technology to end tuberculosis, but do we have the will?
Faustine Wabwire, senior policy and advocacy manager at Management Sciences for Health

“…Although we have made much progress [against TB], gains are uneven: half of all new infections occur in just a handful of countries. Drug-resistant TB is a major and growing threat … Further, The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a … gap between current funding and what’s needed to carry out necessary interventions. … This year, 2018, presents a unique opportunity to recommit to end TB. On September 26, heads of state, civil society, and business leaders will gather in New York at the United Nations General Assembly for the first-ever U.N. High-Level Meeting on TB. This meeting should result in an ambitious political declaration that will reinforce action and investments to end TB. As Congress considers the fiscal 2019 State and Foreign Operations appropriations, we urge Congress to support $302 million for the USAID TB program, as approved by the House Appropriations Committee. Sufficient funding, backed by leadership and effective interventions, may finally give us an edge over TB, and put countries on a path toward sustainability, shared prosperity, and self-reliance” (8/1).