First Lady calls for support and quality TB service delivery

* Individuals who have dedicated their work have demonstrated unimaginable dedication to delivering such services

* These Ukrainian prize winners and Kochon prize winners have made outstanding contributions towards ending TB

By Lisa Kadango Malango, MANA in New York

The First Lady Madame Monica Chakwera has commended some individuals and organisations that have spent immense time and resources in ensuring that tuberculosis (TB) services are comprehensively adequately and effectively delivered to those who need services.

She was speaking at the Stop TB Partnership Awards celebrating work and resilience in TB response organised by Kochon Foundation on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.

Chakwera noted that individuals who have dedicated their work have demonstrated unimaginable dedication to delivering such services, saying: “The celebration of excellence of these individuals is incredible.

“These Ukrainian prize winners and Kochon prize winners have made outstanding contributions towards ending TB.”

She observed that Ukraine has set an extraordinary example despite the destruction and burden on the healthcare system due to war, hence the service providers — together with their government — continued their efforts to provide care and support to people affected by TB especially the vulnerable.

Madame Chakwera commended the Challenge Facility that supports and catalyses TB affected communities and civil society working at national, regional and global levels to transform and focus on the TB response on community led engagement human rights and gender quality to end TB by 2030.

She added that the TB United Nations high level meeting in 2018 Challenge Facility has supported communities to partner with national TB programs in more than 25 countries to complete assessments of human rights related barriers to access quality TB services.

Chakwera expressed satisfaction with the two initiatives, saying it will encourage those organisations to commit more to supporting the delivery of quality TB services.

“We can only save more lives if we come together in supporting the delivery of quality TB cases,” she said.

In his remarks Kochon Foundation chairman, Kim Du-hyeon commended the service providers who have been dedicated to achieving ending TB saying those efforts cannot go unnoticed.

“This year’s awardees are genuine medical professionals who did not give up on patients even in dire conditions due to war,” he said. “We commend an awardee from the public health center of Ministry of Health in Ukraine for the contribution to treating over 12,000 TB patients during war.”

Kochon prize is awarded annually by Stop TB partners to individuals or organisations that have made a significant contribution to combating TB and its cash prize of US$65,000 is endowed by Kochon Foundation, a non-profit foundation registered in the Republic of Korea, with an aim of improving access to the low cost lifesaving antibiotics and TB drugs.

It was established in 2006 in honour of the late chairman, Chong Kun Lee to improve access to low cost of life saving antibiotics and TB drugs.

This year, the Kochon Prize focused on the theme: ‘Recognition of medical professionals who do not give up on Tuberculosis treatment even in conflict zones’.