On October 22, over 300 delegates at the World Health Organization (WHO) European Ministerial Forum “All against Tuberculosis” adopted the Berlin Declaration on Tuberculosis, which describes the disease as “an increasing threat to health security in the WHO European Region”.
The declaration calls for urgent action to halt and reverse the high levels of tuberculosis (TB), including its multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains.
European WHO member states and international partners commit themselves to providing more political support and resources to control and eventually eliminate the disease.
While recognising previous achievements, the declaration calls for more action in specific areas. Some actions, such as investing in and strengthening health systems for better TB control, form part of a region-wide commitment for the first time.