Members of the board of the Stop TB Partnership were in good spirits back in December at its meeting in Abuja, Nigeria. While tuberculosis remains a huge public health problem, data showed countries were recovering from the disruptions caused by COVID-19 on diagnosis and treatment. There are also some exciting innovations in the pipeline, such as new TB vaccines.
But that moment soon turned to worry, when in January United States President Donald Trump ordered a U.S. aid freeze affecting many development and humanitarian programs, including work fighting TB, the world’s number one infectious disease killer.
Dr. Lucica Ditiu, executive director of the Stop TB Partnership, is concerned that the freeze will roll back the gains made in fighting TB over the years.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
