KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation releases the news on the first Dutch MP to join the Global TB Caucus.
Text adapted from KNCV press release - https://www.kncvtbc.org/en/2018/09/26/parliamentarian-anne-kuik-becomes-tb-ambassador/
In 2018 CDA’s Member of Parliament Anne Kuik became the first Dutch MoP to sign the Barcelona Declaration—the international document in which politicians commit to the fight against TB in September. TB remains the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing 1,6 million people each year. KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation greatly appreciates Kuik’s decision to become a TB ambassador. With her signature, the member of the House of Representatives sends out a clear signal to Dutch politicians and decision makers.
2,400 politicians from 130 countries preceded Anne Kuik (31) in signing the Barcelona Declaration. They are united in the Global TB Caucus. As a younger member of parliament, Anne Kuik aims to enlighten other youngsters as to the threat posed by this disease: “It is high time for the Netherlands to join the Caucus. Many people think that TB is a disease of the past, but it most definitely is not: TB is still rampant in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. Indeed, we ourselves may become infected when we visit these regions, either for work or holiday, and bring the disease plus associated consequences back to the Netherlands. Every day, over 4.000 people die from TB, even though it is a treatable disease. Together, we can eliminate TB worldwide. Of course, merely signing the Barcelona Declaration won’t get us there. In the coming months, I will be campaigning for the global fight against TB.”
Kitty van Wezenbeek, executive director of KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, emphasizes the need for worldwide political support in ending the deadly tuberculosis epidemic. “With long-term political support we can eliminate tuberculosis, preventing unimaginable and unnecessary human suffering and economic damage. It is now up to the world leaders, and KNCV is ready, anywhere in the world, to help convert political support into actual results!”
Mrs. Kuik has taken up her new role as TB Ambassador with both ambition and enthusiasm. Recently she received a strong delegation from the broader Dutch TB community in parliament to discuss challenges and opportunities in the fight to eliminate TB. Moreover, in parliament she has played an important role to secure an extra financial contribution of the Dutch government to the international roll out of new diagnostics and treatments for TB. As a result, the Dutch government is turning its commitment to the UN Declaration on TB already into concrete action.”