More than 200 youth from all over the world gathered for the first Youth Town Hall on Tuberculosis (TB) meeting on 15 July 2019 in Jakarta. The inaugural meeting was in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Health and Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives. It was hosted by WHO Headquarters and supported by WHO Indonesia Country Office.
Despite progress over the past decades, TB remains the world’s leading infectious killer, claiming nearly 4,500 lives a day. The latest WHO Global TB Report shows that no country in the world is free from TB.
Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme stated that the urgency to end TB requires action to be been taken by world leaders, including Indonesia. Together, we are facing significant challenges in reducing TB burden where 3.6 million people out of 10 million cases were left undiagnosed in 2017. WHO predicts that at least 30 million people should be able to access TB preventive treatment, but it requires more than that to end TB. A collaborative effort is a must to ensure that we leave no one behind, especially for those who struggle in accessing health care, including young people.
Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia took the lead in promoting meaningful youth involvement in addressing the world’s most urgent challenges. As a country with the fourth highest youth population (after Brazil, India, and China) providing space for youth dialogue is increasingly in the current agenda of the Indonesian Ministry of Health.
The youth are mobilizing themselves and are now appealing to leaders, WHO, and other decision makers at all levels to:
Ensure that no young person is left behind
Recognize young people as agents of change
Harness the unique abilities and skills that young people especially can bring to the table, such as intercultural communication and innovative use of technology
Enable meaningful inclusion and engagement of young people in planning, decision-making, as well as monitoring and review at all levels
Advocate for and enable young people to have a stronger role in national and local efforts to empower their communities to end TB
High-level discussion panel; "Ending TB by 2030 through multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder engagement and action"
Photo credit: Yoana Anandita/WHO