TUBERCULOSIS CALL TO ACTION The Tuberculosis Call to Action (TBC2A) Project, supported by USAID and implemented by REACH, seeks to amplify and support India’s response to TB by broadening the conversation around the disease and involving previously unengaged stakeholders. MARCH HIGHLIGHTS Consultation on developing a strategic framework for a gender-sensitive response to TB A TB Centrestage Discussion on ‘Developing a Strategic Framework for a Gender -sensitive Response to TB’ was held in New Delhi on March 9, 2017. Organized by REACH, the meeting – the first held on this issue — brought together experts from TB and gender sectors, social scientists, government representatives, civil society organizations, and TB survivors who argued for more gender-sensitive programming in India. The objectives of this meeting included drawing attention on the need for a gender-sensitive response to TB, understanding the gender issues related to TB and identifying a roadmap for developing a strategic frame- work for a gender-sensitive response to TB. Following this meeting, REACH submitted a note on Gender and TB to the Central TB Division for incorporation into the National Strategic Plan. Sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik declares commitment as TB Ambassador for Odisha Padma Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sand art installation on Puri beach, Odisha to create awareness about TB together with the state government and REACH. The event was widely televised in local and National TV channels and also received coverage on social media. A short video was produced and World TB Day observed in Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha TBC2A, along with the NCPI+ (National Coalition of People living with HIV), supported the State TB Cell in observing WTD in Patna. The Hon'ble Minster for Public Health Engineering and Law, Shri Krishnanandan Ver- ma was the Chief Guest at the event, which was attended by four MLAs and one MLC, who pledged their commitment to the fight against TB. The Chief Guest at World TB Day in Jharkhand was the Hon’ble Speaker Mr Oraon, who committed on provisioning. “Help desks should be set up in all government hospitals to act as a one-stop resource for patients to get all TB- related information and guidance,” he said. Other participants included parlia- mentarians, government and public health officials, civil society organizations and TB survivors and affected communities. Communication and IEC material featuring Deepika Kumari were unveiled at the programme. Three eminent Oriya personalities — musician Padma Shri Prafulla Kara, sand artist Padma Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik and actor Shri Kuna Tripathy were announced as TB Ambassadors for the state. All three Ambassadors expressed their commit- ment to improving awareness and public understanding of TB in Odisha. Sensitization of private practitioners in Odisha A consultation of private health care practitioners was conducted by the State TB Cell in collaboration with REACH and Indian Medical Association (IMA)- Bhubaneswar on World TB Day. The meeting discussed the role of Private practitioners on TB notification and treatment adherence in compliance with the WHO approved Standards for TB Care in India (STCI) guidelines. REACH will follow up with participants at the meeting and seek their inputs to improve the collaboration of private practitioners with the RNTCP in Odisha. Development of short film on Daily Regimen At the request of CTD, REACH developed a short film to clearly outline the change in regimen from intermittent to daily and to describe the new treatment protocol. Shot with actors, the fictionalised narrative featured a woman with TB and her journey from diagnosis through treatment. The objective was also to destigmatise the TB experience through a narrative of this kind. The short film was shown at the World TB Day event in New Delhi and will be screened in all states as the daily regimen rollout expands across the country. APRIL HIGHLIGHTS Regional capacity-building workshop for TB survivors and advocates from six countries TB survivors and advocates from India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh and the Philippines met in New Delhi from April 10-13 to take part in a first-of-its- kind capacity building workshop. Organized by REACH, in partnership with USAID and the Stop TB Partnership, the four-day workshop brought together 32 people from six countries who shared personal experiences on TB, documented the societal and systemic barriers they faced, transformed the barriers they faced into concrete advocacy goals and strategies and discussed the power of collective community-driven advocacy to change the status quo in TB. Email: [email protected] Facebook: SpeakTB Website: www.reachtbnetwork.org Twitter: @SpeakTB The publication of this document is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of REACH and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. .