The Global Network of People living with HIV (GNP+) and TBpeople recognises March 24th as World TB Day, the annual day to focus attention on tuberculosis (TB), by calling for a paradigm shift centering people living with HIV and people who have experienced TB, at the centre of our collective responses to fighting the two diseases.
As organizations governed explicitly by and for people who are living and affected by HIV and/or TB, GNP+ and TBpeople are now joining forces to establish a more collaborative and formalized relationship in promotion of stronger and more unified global and regional TB and HIV community-led advocacy responses.
TB and TB/HIV co-infection remain unprecedented global health crises. Every single day, nearly 4500 people lose their lives to TB and close to 30,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease. Additionally, the risk of developing TB is estimated to be between 16-27 times greater in people living with HIV and TB/HIV co-infection is responsible for one in three HIV-related deaths.
In light of these realities, GNP+ and TBpeople are committed to working together to amplify action to increase resource sustainability and accountability for TB/HIV treatment and critical health services that influence the quality of lives of people living with HIV and people affected by TB.
“TBpeople has grown as an organization rapidly during the past year, and in the coming months there shall be some exciting and tangible outcomes from our efforts,” says Paul Thorn, the Head Of Secretariat for TBpeople. “We aspire to be the most influential network of TB activists in the world, and it’s only fitting that we have this deeper partnership with GNP+, who in their own right as an organization, have made such a tangible difference over the years in the fight against HIV.”
“We welcome this new collaboration with TBpeople. With global health financing reduced, the replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria still hanging in the balance, and discussions around universal health care rapidly advancing, the public health and humanitarian risks of letting the TB and TB/HIV epidemic go unchecked, must be taken into account,” says Rico Gustav, Executive Director of GNP+. “We therefore will be working hand in hand with TBpeople to strengthen community voices and responses in these arenas to ensure that the priorities and needs of the TB and TB/HIV community are met.”
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The Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) is the only worldwide network representing all people living with HIV. Its mission is work for the improvement of the quality of life of all PLHIV through advocacy, knowledge management and community development.
TBpeople is the global network of people affected by TB. Started in 2016, the network is driven by its vision, World Free Of TB, and its mission, Unite People, Defeat TB.
