The Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng launched the National Coordination Committee (NCC) for Tuberculosis (TB) at the Ministry of Health (MoH) headquarters in Kampala. The NCC is composed of a membership of different stakeholders in the health sector who include MoH, Health Development Partners, laboratory technicians, Civil Society Organisations, religious organizations, the armed forces and pharmacists.

Uganda is among the countries with a high TB prevalence at 253 TB cases per 100,000 population that still needs support in leadership and coordination to end the TB epidemic by 2035. This compelled MoH to form the NCC whose mandate is stepping up the capacity of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program to tackle the TB scourge in Uganda. The specific terms of reference for the NCC on TB include;

· Generating, discussing and agreeing on policy direction for TB control in Uganda

· Advocating and mobilizing human, material and financial resources for TB control

· Providing oversight as well as monitoring implementation of strategies for TB disease control

· Rallying all partners and ensuring effective coordination  around the three ‘ONES’; one strategy,  one accountability and Monitoring and Evaluation

· Advising and recommending new and innovative interventions in TB prevention and control

· Promoting programmatic research that informs innovative strategies on TB control.

In a nutshell, the NCC is tasked with the leadership to support coordination and scale up of prevention, treatment and care strategies in Uganda. 

The World Health Assembly, convened annually by the World Health Organization at the UN Palais des Nations in Geneva, passed a resolution in May 2014 approving, with full support, the new post-2015 Global TB Strategy with its ambitious targets. The strategy aims to end the global TB epidemic, with targets to reduce TB deaths by 95% and to cut new cases by 90% between 2015 and 2035, and to ensure that no family is burdened with catastrophic expenses due to TB.  The NCC formation is in line with the End TB Strategy principles of building strong coalition with civil societies and communities in the effort to end TB.

To that effect, WHO and partners will continue to promote dialogue and collaboration that unites individuals and communities in new ways to end the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic “Unite to End Tuberculosis”. 

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For more information, please contact:

Mwebembezi Edmond, Public Information Officer, Tel.: +256 414 335569, Cell: +256 782 962674,  Email:mwebembezie [at] who.int ( mwebembezie[at]who[dot]int)