On may 21st national TB stakeholders from Armenia gathered together to discuss TB policies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms Lusine Badalian, member of the national TB Caucus performed a welcome word paying attention to the need to work together with all TB stakeholders to protect the rights of TB patients in times of COVID. She also emphasised, that while stringent COVID-19 responses may only last months, they would have a lasting impact on TB in high-burden settings, through their effect mainly on TB diagnosis and treatment. Long term outcomes can be strongly influenced by the pace of short-term recovery.
During the call, participants agreed that for the aim to recover the gains made over the last years through increased efforts and investments in TB, it is important to have supplementary measures and resources to reduce the accumulated pool of undetected people with TB. Securing access to an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured treatment and care for every single person with TB will be essential. Notifications will provide a helpful approach for monitoring the progress of such supplementary efforts.
By the end of the meeting, participants agreed on the need to adopt a national resolution, which will be shared with all members of the national caucuses. They also agreed on the need to have a second call on migration and its impact on TB patients, as for now it is an urgent issue to solve for Armenia.
Thank you to all partners who actively participated in this call and for their inputs that created a very constructive discussion with good outcomes.
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