The TB Advocacy Campaign in the G20
The G20 is home to over half of the worlds’ TB burden, and has a critical role to play in determining the future trajectory of the disease. In October 2016, the Global TB Caucus Executive Committee instructed the Secretariat to lead a campaign focusing on the inclusion of TB within the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) agenda of the G20. Furthermore, the Global TB Caucus Strategic Plan 2017-2020 targets these 20 countries as a priority and as a group which can do much more to lead the global response to TB.
Since 2016, members of the Global TB Caucus from across the G20 and the Caucus Secretariat are at the forefront of advocacy efforts around TB in the G20, engaging with key advocacy partners and with the C20, for a coordinated response to the disease. Civil society is a critical partner and source of information. Without engaging civil society in key countries at the very outset of the process, the end result could have been very difficult. They play an important role in exchanging information and intelligence, giving recommendations to next steps and strategies. Among the activities, there have been multiple conference calls to discuss the best approach to each of the G20 presidencies. During these calls we agree on a final proposal to jointly push for and on a common language to reach out to government representatives.
The campaign started with the purpose to secure strong language and commitments on TB in the AMR discussions, but evolved throughout the years to also the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Health System Strengthening (HSS) agendas in the group. Since 2017, when the Global TB Caucus’ TB campaign for the G20 started, both the Leaders’ Communique and the Ministers of Health Declaration had specific language around TB and there was important reference to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria throughout the German, Argentinian and Japanese presidencies, with reference from the UNHLM on TB on the last two years.
G20 SUMMIT
The Global TB Caucus organised a G20 TB Summit was held in Berlin, in 2017 and gathered Members of Parliament from across the 20 countries and resulted in a Declaration of Intention recommending the G20 to maintain and increase commitments to TB research and development. The Declaration was delivered to the German Sherpa and Minister of Health on the occasion.
G20 MEETING
The Global TB Caucus held a G20 TB meeting in the Argentinian Mission to the UN, in 2018. The meeting resulted in a Statement of Intent signed by Members of Parliament from the G20 countries and delivered to Ambassador Martín García Moritán, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations. The Statement urged the G20 to maintain and increase their commitments on TB, aligned with the outcomes of the United Nations High Level Meeting on TB.
G20 BILATERALS
The Global TB Caucus organised several bilateral meetings throughout 2018 to Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Germany, where members of the Global TB Caucus met with G20 representatives from the countries and urged sustained commitments to TB within the AMR and UHC discussions.
ENGAGEMENT WITH MPs
In 2019, Japan led several national meetings to discuss the UNHLM on TB Political Declaration and plan the approach for their G20 presidency. MPs from the National TB Caucus held internal meetings, meetings with civil society representatives and sent letters to Ministers of Health and Foreign Affairs requesting the prioritisation of TB in the G20 AMR agenda and the importance of a successful Global Fund replenishment in order to reach the financial targets from the UN HLM in TB.
ENGAGEMENT WITH SHERPAS
Throughout 2019, MPs from Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the UK engaged with their Sherpas and Health Working Group representatives requesting the government to consider the language proposed by the Global TB Caucus for the Heads of States Communique and Ministers of Health Declaration.
ENGAGEMENT WITH MINISTERS
In October 2019, Hon Nick Herbert visited Japan in a bilateral and met with MPs from the National Caucuses, and requested they raised the Global TB Caucus proposed language with the Ministers of Health and Foreign Affairs. As a follow up, Hon Keizo Takemi had a meeting with both Ministers who committed to modifying the language to meet our request to some extent.