Last week, global leaders convened in New York City for the second United Nations High-Level Meeting (HLM) on tuberculosis (TB). This was an important moment for UN Member States to reaffirm their commitment to ending TB – the deadliest infectious disease in the world – after efforts were pushed off track by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After months of advocacy in the lead up to the TB HLM, we were disappointed by Canada’s lackluster presence at the meeting. The lack of ministerial attendance and inadequate commitments signaled that Canada is not prioritizing TB elimination to the extent needed.
While we celebrate Canada's investment of $25.5 million in TB REACH which was announced in a statement last week, we express our discontent with Canada’s overall engagement at the TB HLM. We were particularly disheartened by the lack of funding for meeting its “fair share” of TB research and development (R&D) spending – which Results Canada volunteers and partners had been calling for months.
We know that Canada could and should have done more at the TB HLM to step up for the millions of people affected by TB – but the advocacy does not end with the close of this meeting. Join us in expressing our disappointment and continue calling for investments in the TB R&D needed to #EndTB.
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