Tuberculosis prevention and control (Resolution)

16 REGIONAL COMMITTEE: FIFTY-SECOND SESSION (4) to develop partnerships with other Member States to strengthen and harmonize tobacco control strategies that have transnational dimensions; (5) to support resolution WHA54.18, calling for transparency in the tobacco control process, to ensure the integrity of tobacco-control-related public health policy development; (6) to develop national capacity in tobacco cessation interventions; 2. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (1) to intensify advocacy for the development and adoption of the FCTC; (2) to sustain support for Member States in their tobacco-control efforts, consistent with the regional Tobacco Free Initiative, including supporting their participation in the FCTC process; and (3) to inform Member States of the activities of the tobacco industry that may have a negative effect on tobacco control efforts. Seventh meeting, 14 September 2001 WPRlRCS2/SRl7 WPRlRCS2.R7 TUBERCULOSIS PREVENTION AND CONTROL The Regional Committee, Concerned that tuberculosis continues to be an important public health problem in Member States with high or intermediate prevalence rates of tuberculosis; Recognizing that tuberculosis particularly affects the poorest and most vulnerable; Acknowledging that the WHO-recommended DOTS strategy is a very cost-effective health intervention that achieves high treatment success rates; Expressing concern that the current detection rate of 47% of estimated new smear-positive cases in the Region is still far below the regional target of 70%; Expressing further concern at the increasing impact of drug resistance on tuberculosis control in some countries of the Region; Noting that TBIHIV co-infection is spreading in the absence of coordinated approaches to address the problem; Noting with concern that there is still a considerable gap in financing tuberculosis control, including fmancing for antituberculosis drugs; Welcoming, in response to resolution WPRlRCSl.R4, the development of five year (2001-2005) Stop TB national plans in the seven countries in the Region with a high burden of tuberculosis; REPORT OF THE REGIONAL COMMITTEE 17 Also welcoming the strengthening of the technical capacity of WHO's Stop TB special project in the Western Pacific; 1. URGES Member States: (1) to accelerate the implementation of DOTS in order to achieve the regional objective of reducing prevalence and mortality of tuberculosis by half by 2010 from 2000 levels; (2) to further increase the financial and human resources devoted to implementing the five year (2001-2005) Stop TB national plans and to securing supplies of antituberculosis drugs; (3) to establish effective coordination mechanisms between HN and tuberculosis programmes in order to address tuberculosis and HN co-infection; (4) to strengthen surveillance systems, ensuring monitoring of drug resistance and tuberculosis prevalence and mortality; (5) to further strengthen partnerships at the country level through national Inter-agency Coordinating Committees; 2. REQUESTS the Regional Director: (I) to continue to work with other international organizations to advocate at the highest political level for increased political and financial commitment to tuberculosis control and to enhance international cooperation; (2) to further strengthen technical support to countries in the Region with both high and intermediate prevalence rates of tuberculosis; (3) to strengthen partnerships in order to increase funding for tuberculosis control in the Region, in collaboration with global Stop TB partners; (4) to coordinate efforts to strengthen surveillance to ensure monitoring of drug-resistance and tuberculosis prevalence and mortality; (5) to develop a regional strategy to address tuberculosislHN co-infection; (6) to further support Member States to develop tools to measure tuberculosis mortality and to conduct prevalence surveys in countries in the Region with a high burden of tuberculosis. Seventh meeting, 14 September 2001 WPRfRC52/SRl7