nd<\/sup> Session of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly, at the interactive civil society hearing in preparation of the high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis<\/h2>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Excellencies, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,<\/p>\n
We have come to the end of today\u2019s Hearing.<\/p>\n
This morning you were challenged to bring ideas, experiences and solutions to the table. And you did.<\/p>\n
You were challenged to make a loud and united call for action. And you did.<\/p>\n
And you also did something else, very important: you showed us all the human side, to tuberculosis.<\/p>\n
We heard about, not just the data and the facts, but also the impact of this disease on people.<\/p>\n
And, I have to say, a lot of it was not easy to listen to. It involved stories of real pain \u2013 and of real suffering.<\/p>\n
For example, 12-year old Joyce, from Kenya. She contracted multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis. And the equipment needed, to keep her alive, stopped working during a power failure. Not only was her death a tragedy for her family \u2013 but they have also found themselves in debt, trying to pay back the hospital bills.<\/p>\n
We heard from Melquiades \u2013 a young man from Peru. His parents were forced to choose between educating his siblings, or paying for his treatment. And, for a while, a lack of infrastructure meant his family had to carry him to hospital, on a blanket.<\/p>\n
Finally, Carol, from Zambia, told us her own story. After surviving tuberculosis, she dedicated her life to the eradication of this disease. And, her advocacy has had an impact. The Zambian Government became the first high-burden country to invest in the Global Fund.<\/p>\n
So, these stories \u2013 and many others, told today \u2013 are very powerful.<\/p>\n
And, what did we learn from them?<\/p>\n
Personally, I took away the following messages:<\/p>\n
First, on people.<\/p>\n
This disease might not make headline news \u2013 but we cannot forget the devastating impact it still has, on the lives of people, around the world.<\/p>\n
Second, on vulnerability.<\/p>\n
What we heard today is that tuberculosis does not pose the same risk to everyone. Instead, it is often the most vulnerable who suffer. And, this can result, not only in the tragic loss of life \u2013 but also crippling debt.<\/p>\n
And third, on action.<\/p>\n
Because tuberculosis is not inevitable. It can be cured. It can be prevented. And, if there is one thing to take away from today\u2019s meeting, it is that much more action is needed.<\/p>\n
And, many of you gave ideas on what this action could look like.<\/p>\n
You spoke about the type of funding needed.<\/p>\n
\u2026About the kind of support networks, which can help families and communities.<\/p>\n
\u2026About the campaigns and advocacy, which have led to results in the past.<\/p>\n
\u2026About preventive practices and policies, for healthcare workers.<\/p>\n
\u2026And, about the opportunities, for more public-private partnerships.<\/p>\n
We heard many calls for action today. But I would to quote one, in particular\u2026. because I think it sums up how urgently \u2013 and quickly \u2013 we need to act.<\/p>\n
So, in the words of one of our participants today, Donald Tobaiwa:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must not ask how much it costs to end tuberculosis. We must ask how much it costs not to act.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, thank you all for being here \u2013 and actively participating.<\/p>\n
Your commitments\u2026 your passion\u2026and your stories have shone a spotlight on tuberculosis.<\/p>\n
The high-level meeting, in September, will be a milestone, in our journey to end this disease.<\/p>\n
And I thank you for, today, bringing us one small \u2013 but significant – step closer to this goal.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Closing statement by H.E. Mr. Miroslav Laj\u010d\u00e1k, President of the 72nd Session of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly, at the interactive civil society hearing in preparation of the high-level meeting on the fight against tuberculosis<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":202,"featured_media":158806,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[69,65,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-158803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-newsandupdates","category-statements","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n
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