An Opportunity to END TB: Using the Sustainable Development Goals for Action on Socio-Economic Determinants of TB in High Burden Countries in WHO South-East Asia and the Western Pacific Regions

Srinath Satyanarayana; Pruthu Thekkur; Ajay M V Kumar; Yan Lin; Riitta A Dlodlo; Mohammed Khogali; Rony Zachariah; Anthony David Harries

doi:10.3390/tropicalmed5020101

An Opportunity to END TB: Using the Sustainable Development Goals for Action on Socio-Economic Determinants of TB in High Burden Countries in WHO South-East Asia and the Western Pacific Regions

Trop Med Infect Dis. 2020 Jun 18;5(2):101. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed5020101.

Authors

Srinath Satyanarayana^{1

2}, Pruthu Thekkur^{1

2}, Ajay M V Kumar^{1

2

3}, Yan Lin^{2

4}, Riitta A Dlodlo², Mohammed Khogali⁵, Rony Zachariah⁵, Anthony David Harries^{2

6}

Affiliations

¹ The Union South-East Asia (The USEA) Office, C-6 Qutub Institutional Area, New Delhi 110016, India.
² International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, 68 Boulevard Saint Michel, 75006 Paris, France.
³ Yenepoya Medical College, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), University Road, Deralakatte, Mangalore 575018, India.
⁴ International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, No.1 Xindong Road, Beijing 100600, China.
⁵ Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Disease (TDR), World Health Organization, Avenue Appia 20, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
⁶ London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.

Abstract

The progress towards ending tuberculosis (TB) by 2035 is less than expected in 11 high TB burden countries in the World Health Organization South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. Along with enhancing measures aimed at achieving universal access to quality-assured diagnosis, treatment and prevention services, massive efforts are needed to mitigate the prevalence of health-related risk factors, preferably through broader actions on the determinants of the "exposure-infection-disease-adverse outcome" spectrum. The aim of this manuscript is to describe the major socio-economic determinants of TB and to discuss how there are opportunities to address these determinants in an englobing manner under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. The national TB programs must identify stakeholders working on the other SDGs, develop mechanisms to collaborate with them and facilitate action on social-economic determinants in high TB burden geographical areas. Research (to determine the optimal mechanisms and impact of such collaborations) must be an integral part of this effort. We call upon stakeholders involved in achieving the SDGs and End TB targets to recognize that all goals are highly interlinked, and they need to combine and complement each other's efforts to end TB and the determinants behind this disease.

Keywords: End TB; South-East Asia; Western Pacific Region; national TB program; socio-economic determinants; sustainable development goals; tuberculosis.