An informal advocacy alliance that shares a commitment to raising awareness of tuberculosis and to increasing the political will to control the disease through the WHO Europe Region and worldwide.
TB EUROPE COALITION NEWSFLASH
13/05/2014
The TBEC newsletter brings you news items, information about upcoming events and stories from the region every month. We hope that you will find this newsletter interesting, and we hope that it will inspire you to share stories from your own work.
To become a member of the TB Europe Coalition or to share your work, please email Fanny Voitzwinkler at fvoitzwinkler@ghadvocates.org.
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TBEC meets with Ukrainian civil society
Following the end of the TB Europe Network meeting in Kyiv, TBEC met with local TB civil society organisations (CSOs) and relevant stakeholders in the country. We also met with the EU Delegation in ukraine to discuss how the EU could support the fight against TB in the country and the assistance offered by the Delegation to local CSOs.
The EU Delegation highlighted that there are many ways for CSOs engaged in the fight against TB to access resources, particularly in the field of human rights and vulnerable groups, which remain priorities in EU-Ukraine relations. The importance of coordination amongst CSOs was emphasised with regards to this.
Our meeting with CSOs and local stakeholders explored what challenges there are for TB in Ukraine. A lack of integration between TB and HIV services and insufficine state funding both remain issues to overcome. TBEC highlighted their support to Ukrainian CSOs with regards to reinforcing their coordination to help overcome these issues. They were also urged to develop a common advocacy strategy. Read more about the details of this meeting here.
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Marina's story - fighting drug resistant TB in 3 different countries
Marina is a Romanian citizen who was studying law in the UK when she was diagnosed with MDR-TB. Marina was studying abroad in Lyon, France in 2012 when she developed a persistent cough. It was only after multiple visits to the doctor and through her own research that Marina decided to find a clinic that offered TB tests. She had a lung x-ray and bronchoscopy (a tube through the nose and down her airways) done.
Weeks passed and Marina grew more frustrated that no one could tell her what was making her ill. Eventually, Marina flew to Romania where she was diangosed with TB right away and immediatly admitted to hospital for a standard course of TB treatment. Not long after this, Marina received the news from France that she had MDR-TB. This was the start of an arduous two-year fight towards recovery.
Marina was forced to take off a term at University to undergo her treatment. Treatment which came with serious side effects, including sensitivty to light and joints so painful she couldn't move them. Additionally, Marina began taking painful injections everyday but had to stop after she developed tinnitus (ringing in the ears) as a result.
Marina's story is one of triumph. In April 2014, she completed both her studies and her treatment. This is treatment that many thousands cannot tolerate because of the serious and pro-longed side effects. In the EU, only one third of patients with MDR-TB successfully complete their treatmnet. You can read the full story and other people's experiences with TB here.
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