Strengthening GTBC–PAHO Collaboration in Colombia

As countries in the Americas move toward integrated health strategies, the Global TB Caucus (GTBC) continues to strengthen its partnerships with key regional actors. On 20 May, representatives of the GTBC met with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) office in Colombia to discuss shared priorities and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

The meeting brought together regional and global experts from PAHO—including communicable and non-communicable disease advisors, legal counsel, and TB technical consultants—to align efforts in advancing a more coordinated, multisectoral response to TB, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and broader public health challenges.

During the meeting, GTBC’s regional team outlined the Caucus’ mission to end TB through political leadership, grounded in the commitments of the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. A regional map of parliamentary members and focal points across the Americas was presented, reinforcing the growing momentum behind cross-border collaboration.

The PAHO team acknowledged the vital role that parliamentarians play in translating political will into sustained national action. Particular attention was given to Colombia’s upcoming TB legislation and the national effort to eliminate 22 priority diseases, including TB, as part of PAHO’s broader regional elimination plan.

Looking ahead, several opportunities for alignment emerged:

• Engaging parliamentarians in Colombia: PAHO expressed interest in involving GTBC-affiliated MPs—alongside representatives of the Andean Parliament and PARLACEN—in the implementation and promotion of the elimination plan.

• Leveraging health awareness days: GTBC will share its upcoming communications toolkit for World No Tobacco Day, enabling PAHO to amplify parliamentary voices across its platforms.

• Preparing for the Meeting of Health Committees: Set to take place in Paraguay in October 2025, this co-organised meeting will bring together parliamentary health leaders from across the region to align around shared goals on TB, AMR, and UHC. The session will be held in hybrid format, ensuring wide participation.

The meeting closed with a shared commitment to:

• Ensure GTBC’s inclusion in national spaces where TB policy is being shaped.

• Facilitate the exchange of materials and information to support joint visibility and messaging.

• Continue deepening coordination between PAHO and GTBC, particularly in moments that allow parliamentary leadership to elevate regional priorities.

Through sustained coordination, GTBC and PAHO are laying the groundwork for a unified regional response—one that matches ambition with action, and policy with political will.