Background: The Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence will devote his report to the 78th session of the General Assembly, in October 2023, to thoroughly reviewing the question of financing of reparations owed to victims of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law. In order to obtain a broad representation of views to inform the thematic report, he is seeking written contributions from all relevant actors through responses to a questionnaire. Objectives: The report will review the existing experiences, challenges, good practices and lessons learned regarding measures adopted at national and international levels to fund and sustain reparations offered or provided to victims of serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law.
Key questions and types of inputs/comments sought: In order to obtain a broad representation of views to inform the thematic report, the Special Rapporteur is seeking written contributions from all relevant actors through responses to a questionnaire.
The day will inspire hope and encourage high-level leadership, increased investments, faster uptake of new WHO recommendations, adoption of innovations, accelerated action, and multisectoral collaboration to combat the TB epidemic. The WHO will also issue a call to action with partners urging Member States to accelerate the rollout of the new WHO-recommended shorter all-oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB.This year is critical, with opportunities to raise visibility and political commitment at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WorldTBDay, #24Marh,‘#YesWecanEndTB, #Tuberculosis.
Millions of people around the world suffer and die from tuberculosis - a preventable, treatable and curable disease. We need to urgently fast-track the response against this ancient disease and reach those affected with the care they need.
The United Nations General Assembly will
hold the Second high-level meeting onthe fight against tuberculosis on
22 September 2023. The theme of the meeting is: “Advancing science,
finance and innovation, and their benefits, to
urgently end the global tuberculosis epidemic, in
particular, by ensuring equitable access to
prevention, testing, treatment and care.”
ORGANIZATION OF THE MEETING
CO-FACILITATORS:
POLANDAND
UZBEKISTAN
TheUN High-Level Meeting on TBwill be
organized under the direction of the UN
General Assembly. WHO is working closely
with the office of the President of the
General Assembly, the Co-facilitators,
Member States and partners including civil
society in making preparations for the UN high-level meeting.
The main objective of the meeting is to
implement a comprehensive review of
progress in the context of the achievement
of targets set in the 2018 political
declaration, and in the Sustainable
Development Goals.
In preparation for the high-level meeting,
Member States have requested forthe
Secretary- General, with support of the
World Health Organization, to develop a
"comprehensive and analytical report on
progress achieved and challenges
remaining in realizing tuberculosis goals
within the context of achieving the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development,
including on the progress and
implementation of the 2018 political
declaration”
The Multi-stakeholder Hearings on
Tuberculosis / Universal Health Care (UHC) /
Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and
Response will be held on 8-9 May at the
United Nations in New York.
COORDINATION ACROSS THREE
UN HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS: Based on a request from Member States to
WHO's Director General at the Executive
Board, WHO is working with the office of the
President of the General Assembly to
coordinate across the high-level meetings
of the United Nations General Assembly on
universal health coverage, tuberculosis and
pandemic prevention, preparedness and
response. This includes creating procedural
synergy in the intergovernmental processes
of the three meetings.
The purpose of the Day is to: - Honour the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice; - Pay tribute to those who have devoted their lives to, and lost their lives in, the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all; - Recognize, in particular, the important work and values of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, of El Salvador, who was assasinated on 24 March 1980, after denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable populations and defending the principles of protecting lives, promoting human dignity and opposition to all forms of violence.
• 226 000 children and adolescents lost their lives from this preventable and curable disease in 2020.
• 21 000 (or 9%) of the children and young adolescents under 15 years who died of TB were living with HIV.
• In 2020, an estimated 63 % of children and young adolescents below 15 years with TB were not reported or didn’t get access to lifesaving TB diagnosis and treatment services; the proportion was even higher - 72% - for children under 5.
• Progress towards reaching the targets set at the UN High Level Meeting is lagging behind:
- Approximately 1.4 million children were diagnosed and notified between 2018 and 2020, which is only 41% of the 2022 target of 3.5 million.
- Only 12 200 children started treatment for MDR/RR TB in that period, which translates to less than 11% of the 2022 target.
- Only 29% of eligible children under 5 years accessed TB preventive treatment between 2018 and 2020. Almost two thirds of eligible children under 5 years therefore remain at risk of getting sick with TB.
IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING
TB IN CHILDREN AND
ADOLESCENTS
Diagnosing TB in children can be challenging
due to many factors, including the nonspecific nature of TB symptoms that are similar
to other childhood illnesses and difficulties in
collecting specimens for diagnostic testing.
Infants and young children (especially those
under two years) are at higher risk of
developing TB meningitis and disseminated
disease, which are associated with high
morbidity and mortality.
Adolescents usually present with infectious TBdisease, as typically seen in adults. However,
adolescents also form a particularly
vulnerable group who face psycho-social
challenges, requiring careful consideration of
their growing autonomy, treatment support
and assistance with transitioning from
paediatric to adult health service provision.
We need to manage TB in children and
adolescents recognising the unique
characteristics and needs of these groups, as
well as those of their parents, caregivers and
families.
IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
• COVID-19 has had an additional negative and disproportionate impact on children
and adolescents with TB and at risk of TB.
• There has been a steady increase in notifications of children with TB from just over
340,000 in 2011/2012 to over 520,000 in 2019, with a substantial drop in 2020, as a result
of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A detailed analysis shows that TB notifications in children aged below 5 years dropped
by 28% between 2019 and 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions, these figures for children
aged 5-14 years and for those aged 15 years and above were 21% and 18%.
• Overall deaths increased for the first time in a decade to 1.5 million up from 1.4 million
in 2019, as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO, UNICEF, Stop TB Partnership and other
partners released an action plan in 2018
outlining measures to prevent and treat TB in
children and adolescents.
The roadmap
highlights key actions
to end TB in children
and adolescents, such
as high level leadership
& accountability,
functional partnerships,
increased funding,
advocacy, integrated
family- and
community-centred
strategies, improved
monitoring, and more
child and adolescent
TB research.
EVENTS :
The event will take place in a talk-show format with speakers connected by video on WHO’s interactive web-platform- End TB Forum. The main speakers will include Ministers, leaders and other high-level government representatives, Heads of Agencies, TB survivors, civil society and partners. The Show will be broadcast live, with interactive Q&A from the audience online.
- Honor the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice; - Pay tribute to those who have devoted their lives to, and lost their lives in, the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all; - Recognize, in particular, the important work and values of Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, of El Salvador, who was assasinated on 24 March 1980, after denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable populations and defending the principles of protecting lives, promoting human dignity and opposition to all forms of violence.
A World TB Day campaign for action! On World TB Day, WHO calls on everyone to keep the promise to:
° Accelerate the End TB Response to reach the targets set in Sustainable Development Goals, WHO End TB Strategy, the Moscow Declaration to End TB and the political declaration of the UN High-Level Meeting on TB. ° Diagnose and treat 40 million people with TB by 2022 including 3.5 million children and 1.5 million people with drug-resistant TB. This is in line with WHO’s overall drive towards Universal Health Coverage and the WHO Director General’s flagship initiative “Find. Treat. All. End TB” jointly with the Global Fund and Stop TB Partnership. ° Reach 30 million people with TB preventive treatment by 2022 so that those people most at risk receive TB preventive treatment, including 24 million household contacts of TB patients - 4 million of whom are children under 5 - and 6 million people living with HIV. ° Mobilize sufficient and sustainable financing to reach USD 13 billion a year to support efforts to end TB; for every USD 1 invested to end TB, USD 43 is returned as the benefits of a healthy functioning society (Economist/ Copenhagen Consensus). ° Invest in TB research to reach at least USD 2 billion a year for better science, better tools and better delivery.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is organizing a special virtual talk show to commemorate World TB Day on 24 March. This will put the spotlight on TB in the midst of the ongoing COVID crisis. The theme for the Show and for World TB Day: ‘The Clock is Ticking’ – conveys the sense that the world is running out of time to act on the commitments to end TB made by global leaders. This is especially critical in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic that has put End TB progress at risk, and to ensure equitable access to prevention and care in line with WHO’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage.
The event will take place in a talk-show format with speakers connected by video on WHO’s interactive web-platform- End TB Forum. The main speakers will include Ministers, leaders and other high-level government representatives, Heads of Agencies, TB survivors, civil society and partners. The Show will be broadcast live, with interactive Q&A from the audience online.
This annual observance pays tribute to the memory of Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who was murdered on 24 March 1980. Monsignor Romero was actively engaged in denouncing violations of the human rights of the most vulnerable individuals in El Salvador.
Across the world, every victim has the right to kn...ow the truth about violations that affected her or him. But the truth also has to be told for the benefit of all people and communities as a vital safeguard against the recurrence of violations. The right to the truth is closely linked to the right to justice.
To advance this effort, the UN supports fact-finding missions, commissions of inquiry, mapping exercises, and truth commissions, which document human rights violations and make recommendations to ensure accountability, reconciliation, and other reforms.
Throughout the world, from Colombia to Tunisia, from Mali to Sri Lanka, from Nepal to South Sudan, the United Nations has advocated for inclusive and genuine consultations with victims and affected groups, especially women, girls and those who are far too often excluded and marginalized. Their meaningful participation must be ensured in all relevant stages of transitional justice processes, and their specific needs must be fully recognized in any reparation measures.
Securing the testimonies of victims and witnesses is also essential to ensuring the rights to know the truth and to justice. Appropriate mechanisms for the protection of victims and witnesses, including their physical and psychological integrity, privacy, and dignity, must be put in place.
Moreover, the preservation of archives and other documentation relating to human rights violations is crucial for ensuring undistorted historical record and preservation of memory.
On this day, I urge States to adopt measures to promote truth, justice and reparations for victims, which is so crucial to ensuring that gross human rights violations are not repeated. Let us all do more to protect human rights and human dignity.
Ban Ki-moon United Nations
The Archbishop Romero Trust : Óscar Romero was a priest and bishop in El Salvador. His love for his people who were suffering violence and oppression led him to take their side and to denounce their oppressors. And so he was killed, whilst saying Mass, on March 24th 1980.
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Earlier this year, I had the honour of paying my
respects at the gravesite of Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who was
murdered in El Salvador on this day in 1980. Monsignor Romero was an
icon for human rights and social justice.
Every year, the United Nations marks the anniversary of his
death by honouring the memory of the victims of gross human rights
violations and promoting the importance of the right to truth and
justice.
The right to the truth – which is both an
individual and collective right – is essential for victims but also for
society at large. Uncovering the truth of human rights violations of
the past can help prevent human rights abuses in the future.
That is why the United Nations supports fact-finding
missions, commissions of inquiry, and truth commissions to uncover the
truth about gross violations of human rights and serious violations of
international humanitarian law. We work to promote justice, propose
reparations, and recommend reforms of abusive institutions.
Over the last twelve months, the United Nations
supported Commissions of Inquiry on the Central African Republic, the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea, the recent conflict in
Gaza and the Syrian Arab Republic. We are also providing advice and
assistance to a number of transitional justice processes, including in
Cote d’Ivoire and Tunisia. I once again call for the full
implementation of recommendations of commissions of inquiry and truth
commissions.
The best way to honour Monsignor Romero’s legacy of
fighting for human rights and human dignity is by taking concrete
action to fulfil the right to truth and other fundamental human rights
in our time. On this vital day, let us together pledge to help
victims, their families and societies realize their right to truth and
protect all who strive to see the truth prevail.
As countries mark World Tuberculosis Day on March 24, WHO is
calling for “global solidarity and action” to support a new 20-year
strategy, which aims to end the global tuberculosis epidemic.
Recent years have seen tremendous progress in the fight
against TB, with over 37 million lives saved, but much more needs to be
done. In 2013, 9 million people fell ill with TB, almost half a million
of whom have a multi-drug resistant disease which is far harder to
treat. An estimated 1.5 million people still die of tuberculosis each
year.
The disease frequently has devastating economic consequences
for affected families, reducing their annual income by an average of
50%, and aggravating existing inequalities.
“This is a matter of social justice, fundamental to our goal
of universal health coverage. Each and every man, woman or child with TB
should have equal, unhindered access to the innovative tools and
services they need for rapid diagnosis, treatment and care,” says Dr
Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General.
New strategy sets ambitious targets
WHO’s End TB Strategy, adopted by governments at the World
Health Assembly last year, is designed to drive action in three key
areas: integrated patient-centred TB care and prevention for all in
need, including children; bold policies and supportive systems; and
intensified research and innovation.
The strategy sets ambitious targets of a 95% reduction in TB
deaths and a 90% reduction in cases of TB by 2035. An important
milestone to be reached within the next five years (2020) is the
elimination of catastrophic costs for TB patients and their families.
Eliminating catastrophic costs is feasible through making care more
accessible and through financial protection schemes to minimize medical
and non-medical costs as well as income loss.
2015 is seen as a critical year for action to adapt and roll out
the strategy in diverse country settings. Achieving success for the
strategy will require the TB community around the world to work together
to leverage alliances and resources.
“The progress that has been made in combating TB has been hard
won and must be intensified if we are to wipe out the TB epidemic,”
says Dr Eric Goosby, who was appointed UN Special Envoy on TB in January
this year. “The End TB Strategy offers new hope to the millions of
people suffering and losing their lives to TB each year. It is time to
join forces to create a world free of TB.”
The strategy addresses tuberculosis among vulnerable groups,
including people living with HIV who develop TB. In 2013 there were an
estimated 1.1 million people co-infected with HIV and TB, 360 000 of
whom died.
Mobilization needed to fund gaps and end TB
Persistent funding gaps in the TB response also need to be
filled to drive progress towards ending the global epidemic. It is vital
that resource gaps of USD 2 billion per year for TB interventions and
USD 1.39 billion per year for TB research be filled. Accelerating
research and innovation in basic science, new diagnostics, drugs and
vaccines and their rapid uptake, will be critical to break the
trajectory of the epidemic and reach the global targets.
“This World TB Day should serve to alert and mobilize as many
people as possible to end the epidemic,” says Dr Mario Raviglione,
Director of the WHO Global TB Programme. “We must work with innovators
in health, development, civil society and the private sector to end the
burden of this preventable disease.”
Gearing up to adapt and implement the End TB strategy has
already begun. A new action framework targeting the elimination of TB
for low-incidence countries was launched last year. Regions are working
on plans to support countries, and ministries of health are updating
their national plans in line with the strategy and its milestones.
Notes for Editors
An overview of the End TB Strategy will be published in the
Lancet on World TB Day and addresses some of the key challenges in
moving the strategy forward.
An article on the action framework towards tuberculosis
elimination for low-incidence countries will be published today by the
European Respiratory Society (ERS) and WHO.
Forum :World Tuberculosis Day - March 24 " This is a matter of social justice, fundamental to our goal of universal health coverage.”
Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General
World TB Day, 24 March, is an opportunity to raise awareness about the
burden of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide and the status of TB prevention
and control efforts. WHO’s End TB Strategy envisions a world free of TB
with zero deaths, disease and suffering. It sets targets and outlines
actions for governments and partners to provide patient-centred care,
pursue policies and systems that enable prevention and care, and drive
research and innovations needed to end the epidemic and eliminate TB. On
World TB Day 2015, WHO calls on governments, affected communities,
civil society organizations, health-care providers, and international
partners to join the drive to roll out this strategy and to reach, treat
and cure all those who are ill today.
TB is a leading killer of children, its impact rippling through
families, communities, and entire countries. While the disease is
curable, appropriate treatments designed for children do not currently
exist. TB Alliance, the World Health Organization, and other partners
are working to change this. Tuberculosis Alliance
On this day in 1980, human rights defender Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo
Romero was assassinated. Each year, the international community
honours his legacy by observing the Day for the Right to the Truth
Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of
Victims. Our commemorations defy the attempt by his murderers to
silence his cries for justice and reinforce the importance of standing
firm for fundamental freedoms.
This Day is also dedicated to
honouring the memory of all victims of gross human rights violations,
and to supporting all those who promote and protect human rights.
The right to truth is both individual and collective. Each victim
has the right to know the truth and how violations affect them.
Informing broader society about fundamental freedoms and how they have
been violated is a vital safeguard against abuses recurring.
The United Nations supports a range of efforts to uncover the facts
about gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian
law and to promote justice, propose reparations and recommend reforms of
abusive institutions. Over the past year we have supported Commissions
of Inquiry on the Central African Republic, Syria and the Democratic
People’s Republic of Korea, as well as the establishment of a Truth and
Dignity Commission in Tunisia.
The right to the truth is
linked to the rights to justice, reparation and guarantees of
non-recurrence. The Special Rapporteur appointed by the Human Rights
Council in 2012 to advance these goals has analyzed selected challenges
faced by truth commissions in transitional periods and has proposed
responses to strengthen the effectiveness of those mechanisms.
On this International Day, I call for the vigorous implementation of
all recommendations of commissions of inquiry and truth commissions in
addressing gross human rights violations and serious violations of
international humanitarian law. Let us recommit to working to help
victims, their relatives and society as a whole to realize the right to
truth – and to protecting those who fight to see the truth prevail.
Ban Ki-moon
On International Day, Ban honours victims of gross human rights violations
At a time when human rights violations persist
around the world, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stressed
the importance of the individual and collective right to the truth for
the promotion of humanitarian law and justice, and called on the
international community to recommit to helping victims and protecting
those who fight to uncover facts.
The International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human
Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims was created to pay
tribute to human rights defender Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero, a
prominent Roman Catholic priest in El Salvador who was murdered on 24
March 1980 for speaking up against poverty, social injustice,
repression, assassinations and torture.
“Our commemorations defy the attempt by his murderers to silence his
cries for justice and reinforce the importance of standing firm for
fundamental freedoms,” stated Mr. Ban, adding that “this day is also
dedicated to honouring the memory of all victims of gross human rights
violations, and to supporting all those who promote and protect human
rights.”
Highlighting that informing societies on the fundamental freedoms and
their potential violations is a vital safeguard against abuses
recurring, the Secretary-General insisted that “every victim has the
right to know the truth and how violations affect them.”
The UN supports a range of efforts to uncover the facts about gross
violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to
promote justice, propose reparations and recommend reforms of abusive
institutions. Over the past year, the UN has supported Commissions of
Inquiry on, respectively, the Central African Republic, Syria and the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as the establishment of a
Truth and Dignity Commission in Tunisia.
Mr. Ban noted that a Special Rapporteur, Pablo de Greiff, was appointed
by the Human Rights Council in 2012 to analyze challenges faced by truth
commissions around the world and propose responses to strengthen the
effectiveness of those mechanisms.
“On this International Day, I call for the vigorous implementation of
all recommendations of commissions of inquiry and truth commissions in
addressing gross human rights violations and serious violations of
international humanitarian law,” said the Secretary-General, urging
renewed commitment from the international community “to working to help
victims, their relatives and society as a whole to realize the right to
truth – and to protecting those who fight to see the truth prevail.”
TB is curable, but current efforts to find, treat and cure everyone who
gets ill with the disease are not sufficient. Of the 9 million people a
year who get sick with TB, 3 million of them are "missed" by health
systems. World TB Day provides the opportunity to call for further
action to reach the 3 million. All partners can help take forward
innovative approaches to ensure that everyone suffering from TB has
access to TB diagnosis, treatment and cure.
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Message for World Tuberculosis Day on 24 March:
Tuberculosis is the
world’s second most deadly infectious diseases among adults, after
HIV/AIDS. Every year, TB kills 1.3 million people and causes nearly 9
million to fall ill.
The tragedy is that TB is
curable, yet one third of those who have it — some 3 million people — do
not get the treatment they need. Most are poor. Many are from
marginalized populations such as migrant workers, refugees and
internally displaced persons, prisoners, indigenous peoples and ethnic
minorities.
Progress in recent years
has proven that we can tackle this threat with concerted efforts.
Between 1995 and 2012, global health interventions saved 22 million
lives and successfully treated 56 million people suffering from TB.
To accelerate results, we
need to increase access to health services and mobilize communities,
hospitals and private providers to reach more people and treat them
faster. We must also invest more in research to find diagnostic tools,
drugs and vaccines.
Everyone with TB should
have access to the services they need for rapid diagnosis, treatment and
cure. This is a matter of social justice. It is also an issue of
global health security, given the rapidly emerging problem of patients
with deadly, extensively drug-resistant TB going undetected. Even when
they are diagnosed, many lack access to effective treatment.
On World Tuberculosis Day,
I call for intensified global solidarity to eradicate this preventable
disease. By caring for the 3 million people who do not have the
treatment they need, we will foster a better future for all humankind.
One third of the estimated 9 million people who get sick with
tuberculosis each year do not receive care, according to the World
Health Organization. WHO says those who are "missed"
by health systems often live in the world's poorest, most vulnerable
communities or are among marginalized populations such as migrants,
refugees, prisoners, indigenous populations or drug users.
Tuberculosis or TB is curable, but current efforts to find, treat and cure everyone who gets the disease are falling short.
Patrick Maigua spoke to Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of the Global TB programme at WHO for World Tuberculosis Day, observed 24 March.
