Created at the same time as the WARN/CARN-TB network, the Executive Secretariat was entrusted with the task of supporting the network’s operations and the achievement of its objectives, through a series of missions defined at the network’s annual meetings. However, like the rest of the world, WARN/CARN-TB faced an atypical year characterized by the emergence of sudden and unusual challenges in the fight against TB, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The significant constraints this situation placed on all healthcare players prompted the Secretariat to revisit the network’s priorities and to implement, in addition to the activities planned for the year, a significant number of activities to effectively support members and partners in maintaining TB services under the new conditions. Here is a summary of the Executive Secretariat’s activities:
Activities carried out as part of the 2020 roadmap
Reinforcing the network’s image
The secretariat is responsible for maintaining WARN/CARN-TB’s image on the website and social networks by regularly updating important network information. The secretariat also published regular quarterly newsletters for network members and partners, presenting not only the network’s activities, but also the region’s NTPs.
Facilitating collaboration within the network
Thanks to a regularly updated contact database of network members and partners, the secretariat has been able to keep in constant touch with countries regarding the need for collaboration between NTPs in the region (on issues such as drug stock-outs), as well as with partners. In this way, the opportunities offered by the partners were shared with the countries in the region.
Activities carried out in support of COVID-19
develop and make available to the network an indicative contingency plan to help countries draw up a national TB-COVID-19 contingency plan.
capacity-building for laboratory staff in member countries by the Cotonou supranational laboratory, through the TB-Lab project
organization of a series of thematic conference calls with the network’s NTP coordination teams, partners and TB experts.
Conducted 3 surveys in the region, respectively on the impact of the pandemic on TB services, on supply and on the programmatic management of TB preventive treatment in the region. These results will be used to support advocacy with partners to strengthen TB control in the region.
In addition to these collective measures, the Executive Secretariat has developed and made available to interested countries a tool to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB case notification, in order to make rapid corrective decisions in TB control strategies.