Permanent Representative Antonio M. Lagdameo underscores the achievements of the Philippines in the fight against TB during the launch of the Alliance of Countries on the Fight Against Tuberculosis, on 2 February 2024 at the Permanent Mission of Indonesia. Philippines co-chairs the Alliance with Indonesia, Nigeria and Poland. (Photo credit: Permanent Mission of Indonesia)
NEW YORK, 02 February 2024 – The Philippines, together with Indonesia, Nigeria and Poland, launched the Alliance of Countries on the Fight Against Tuberculosis (“Alliance”) on 02 February 2024 at the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations.
In welcoming the Alliance members and other participants, the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, Ambassador Antonio M. Lagdameo, thanked Indonesia for leading the initiative and underscored the achievements of the Philippines in the fight against tuberculosis (“TB”).
“As a strong champion in the fight against TB, the Philippines has always welcomed every avenue and every initiative to end, by 2030, this top infectious killer. This commitment is a national priority, and upon the clear directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, underscoring the urgency of the problem and emphasizing the collective role and contribution of each stakeholder, partner, organization, and individual in the fight,” Ambassador Lagdameo stated.
The Ambassador highlighted that from 2017 to 2022, the Philippines was able to find and treat 2.1 million people with TB, and recover and exceed pre-pandemic performance in case notifications. The improvement in case notifications is a product of the implementation of the TB Adaptive Plan which provided guidelines to ensure that TB services were uninterrupted during the pandemic.
Ambassador Lagdameo also identified the potential contributions of the Philippines to the Alliance, and that of the Alliance to TB elimination. He remarked, “[T]hrough this Alliance, we stand in solidarity with all of you in fostering collaboration among members, other states, and partners to strengthen implementation commitments essential for TB control. This includes promoting initiatives supporting countries’ access to new technologies and drugs like the TB vaccine, while also sharing its own innovations in TB management.”
The Ambassador further indicated that PH seeks to pool resources, knowledge, and expertise to combat TB effectively, noting that central to this endeavor is the emphasis on translating commitments into tangible actions, such as improving healthcare infrastructure and enhancing diagnostic capabilities.
The Alliance of Countries on the Fight Against Tuberculosis was created in September 2023 to initiate activities that are highly relevant to build awareness, maintain focus, and encourage concrete measures on the issue of tuberculosis. It was initiated under the leadership of Indonesia, with the Philippines, Nigeria, and Poland as co-chairs. To date, it has 21 members, including high TB countries like China, Mongolia, Peru, Thailand, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam. END
Permanent Representative Antonio M. Lagdameo poses with Permanent Representatives from co-chairs Indonesia, Nigeria, and Poland and Alliance member states during the launch of the Alliance of Countries on the Fight Against Tuberculosis, on 2 February 2024 at the Permanent Mission of Indonesia. (Photo credit: Permanent Mission of Indonesia)