Communities are key players in the fight against tuberculosis. They are the closest interlocutors for patients. It is therefore particularly advisable to involve them more closely when making important decisions in the fight against tuberculosis. To take a step in this direction, the Global Fund organized a workshop on community systems and responses to tuberculosis in West and Central Africa on December 14 and 15, 2022, in Lomé, Togo.
The first aim of the workshop was to remind community leaders of the important role of civil society in achieving tuberculosis control objectives in the region, and the second was to bring together the heads of civil society bodies in the region’s countries and the heads of national tuberculosis control programs, in order to facilitate collaboration between the various bodies.
The two days of work enabled participants to learn about the latest WHO guidelines on community and civil society engagement to end TB, the new funding cycle and the Global Fund strategy. Participants were also able to share their experiences of the impact of community health on TB outcomes, and define perspectives for strengthening the contribution of communities to TB control.
At the end of the workshop, participants expressed their satisfaction with the exchanges and committed themselves to implementing the recommendations made during the two days’ work.