Stop TB Canada Newsletter

March 2023 Newsletter

World TB Day 2023

This World Tuberculosis Day, Stop TB Canada worked alongside domestic and global partners to honour the millions of people affected by tuberculosis (TB) and to raise public and parliamentary awareness about this disease.

With the support of dedicated volunteers and partners, we demonstrated that Canadians care about ending TB. Check out our blog to learn more about our impact this World TB Day, including raising awareness, building political champions, and holding the Canadian government accountable.

It was great to connect with partners at the #ItsTimeToEndTB Parliamentary Breakfast, that we co-hosted with Results Canada, where we met with parliamentarians across party lines to discuss what is needed to #EndTB.

Special thanks to our keynote speaker, Stop TB Canada’s co-chair Tina Campbell, and to the Members of Parliament who sponsored the event, including MPs Pam Damoff, Gary Vidal, and Lori Idlout.

Read more about our World TB Day activities

Act now: A call to world leaders to increase investment in TB vaccine research and development

The TB Vaccine Advocacy Roadmap working group has launched a new open letter for public sign-on in support of increased investments in TB vaccine research and development (R&D).

In this open letter, members of the global TB community are calling on world leaders to increase political and financial commitments to develop and roll out new TB vaccines as a central part of the global TB response. The letter has been written by a cohort of TB advocates, community members, and early career researchers from India, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe as part of the 2023 TB Vaccine Advocacy Fellowship.

Join us by taking action:

Click here to read the full letter and sign on to show your support. And don’t forget to share it among your networks.

The deadline to sign on to the letter is April 26, 2023. The letter will then be sent to representatives of the UN HLM on TB ahead of the Multi-Stakeholder Hearing in May.

Game changers for achieving Global Goals by 2030

Results Canada is having a National Conference this spring! On May 6-7, we will come together to focus on the game changers that are needed to get us back on track to achieving the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. You will be able to connect with volunteers and partners, learn new skills through interactive workshops, and hear from advocacy champions from around the world so you can grow your own advocacy strength.

Immediately following on May 8, you will have the opportunity to use your newly developed advocacy skills to meet with parliamentarians in a ‘Lobby Day’. Results Canada will support you to meet with Members of Parliament and Senators to advocate for global development. You don’t want to miss out on the action!

Learn more and register here.

Publication Spotlight

Victory over big pharma opens door to cheaper tuberculosis drugs

Five years after two TB survivors, Nandita Venkatesan and Phumeza Tisle, filed a petition to stop Johnson & Johnson from extending its monopoly on Bedaquiline in India, the verdict is in. The Indian Patent Office rejected Johnson and Johnson’s patent application, meaning that people with drug-resistant tuberculosis in India could soon have access to critical medication at a far lower cost. Read more here.

Fast-tracking progress to End TB: high-level opportunities for investment and action

In September 2023, heads of state will reconvene at the UN General Assembly and report back on progress towards the targets set at the first UN High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis in 2018.

Hear from Dr. Madhukar Pai, Tereza Kasaeva and Hannah Monica Dias on the opportunities that this High-Level meeting bring to the quest end TB here.

Key Dates

April 4, 2023: The Union Webinar: We must find TB, to end TB

April 7: World Health Day

April 13, 2023: Treatment Action Group’s Webinar: TB Vaccine Development- The Next Chapter Starts Now

April 24-30: World Immunization Week

May 6-8, 2023: Results Canada National Conference

Follow us at TBPeople Canada!

TBpeople is a global network of people affected by TB on a mission to unite people and defeat TB. Follow along and join us in building this network in Canada:

Are you or have you been affected by TB? Please consider joining TBpeople Canada to connect with others who have been impacted by TB, and share stories, resources and support with your peers. To learn more about this network, visit our website at https://www.stoptbcanada.com/tbpeoplecanada.

Do you work closely with TB clinics and/or those affected by TB? Click to download and print the flyer on our website and share it in your clinic.

Remain connected by joining our directory

Join our directory of TB researchers, practitioners, advocates and survivors based in Canada to connect with colleagues and engage in our advocacy!

Join the directory by completing this short form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdq1aT8U0Lfj66TqvDV_7yP0vC38i3AABfwWBcd8T-9_p5yBA/viewform

Thank you!

This newsletter is supported by resources donated by Results Canada, the McGill International TB Center, TB in Focus and ZMQ Development.