On 18th September 2025, stakeholders from across Nigeria and international TB partners convened at the Candellux Imperial Hotel & Suites, Abuja, for the Inception Meeting of the Community-Driven Approaches for Transformative Change to Combat Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (COMBAT DR-TB) Project. The meeting was organized by TB Network, funded by UNITAID through KELIN.
The COMBAT DR-TB Project is a Global South-led, Civil Society-driven initiative being implemented in Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Moldova, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, with a mission to strengthen the global response to Drug-Resistant TB (DR-TB).
Attendance
The meeting brought together:
- State TB Program Managers and DR-TB focal persons from six geopolitical zones of Nigeria (Zamfara, Kaduna, FCT, Nasarawa, Taraba, Borno, Osun, Lagos, Anambra, Ebonyi, Delta, and Cross River).
- Representatives from national and global partners, including NTBLCP, IHVN, WHO, Stop TB Partnership, IPCD, TB People, and TB Network staff.
Meeting Objectives
- Strengthen community and civil society capacity to advocate for equitable, people-centered DR-TB care.
- Influence policy to ensure timely access to biomedical innovations.
- Implement accountability frameworks such as the WHO MAF-TB to track progress and political commitment.
- Expand access and demand for DR-TB diagnostics, treatment, and care through strategic engagement and communications.
Outcome
The meeting set the foundation for transformative, people-centered action—emphasizing that communities remain at the heart of sustainable DR-TB response both in Nigeria and globally.