In News: Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a Virtual Global Forum on TB Vaccines will be convened from 20 – 22 April 2021.
About Virtual Global forum on TB vaccine
- Global Forum on TB Vaccines is the world’s largest gathering of stakeholders striving to develop new vaccines to prevent TB.
- It provides an important and unique opportunity to review the state of the field, share the latest research findings, and identify new and innovative approaches to TB vaccine R&D, with the end goal of developing and deploying new TB vaccines as quickly as possible.
- The Global Forum program addresses the full spectrum of issues relevant to TB vaccine research and development (R&D), from basic research to clinical trials, manufacturing, regulatory, access, and advocacy.
Goals of the Global Forum
The Global Forum brings together stakeholders from across the spectrum of TB vaccine R&D to share data, findings, concepts, and new approaches to R&D, and promote a global dialogue on the path forward for this critical research.
The main goals of the Forum are to:
- Review progress and share the latest research and data
- Identify and promote innovative and transformative approaches to TB vaccine R&D
- Encourage partnerships and collaboration to accelerate TB vaccine R&D
- Increase global recognition of the critical role vaccines will play in global efforts to end TB
Achievements made by India in ending TB by 2025
- By December 2020, India had almost returned to pre-COVID levels in TB enrollment with over 1.8 million patients notified, 11% more than the estimated projections made by us in April 2020.
- The private sector too has contributed significantly by notifying over 0.5 million patients.
- More than 95% of the total patients notified were put on treatment.
- Union Territory of Lakshadweep and the District Budgam in Jammu & Kashmir have been certified as the 1st TB Free Union Territory and 1st TB Free District in the country, respectively.
- The Government of India launched a “TB Mukt Bharat” campaign – which means a campaign on a war-footing level to free India of TB – to take the effort towards fighting TB to the community level and making it a “People’s Movement.”
Source: PIB
