New Delhi: Tuberculosis (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 the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Stop TB Partnership, the four-day workshop trained 30 participants in communication, knowledge and advocacy skills to help them engage in government and non-government TB programs in their countries.

Speaking at the valedictory session, Xerses Sidhwa, Director of Health at USAID/India, said: “USAID is proud to support this workshop, which helps TB survivors to become powerful agents of change in India and other regional countries. It is critical that we actively engage TB champions in designing and implementing programs and advocating for policy change. Their experiences can guide the way forward as we move toward a TB-free India and world.”

Dr. Nalini Krishnan, Director, REACH, added: “At the core of the proposed change is ensuring that those affected by TB are an integral part of all efforts, beyond tokenism. This capacity-building workshop is an important step to achieving a long-term role for trained, committed advocates in policy advocacy, overseeing program and program implementation.”

Globally and in South-East Asia, the TB crisis demands a comprehensive response from both government and non-government actors, including the private healthcare sector, business leaders, civil society and most of all, those directly affected by TB—patients, survivors and their families. However, responses to TB have remained top-down and TB survivors, patients and their families have had little or no role to play in the fight against the disease.

The workshop addressed issues such as science and burden of TB, and focused on the need for powerful and effective storytelling.

With support from USAID, REACH is implementing the TB Call to Action project in India, which seeks to strengthen USAID’s efforts to end TB by advocating for policies and programs that empower patients, caregivers and communities.