Thank you Chairperson.
On behalf of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC, I am very pleased to provide these reflections on how the FCTC has the capacity to improve the tuberculosis treatment outcome. Smoking is a risk factor influencing the disease, its complications and treatment outcomes and also for acquiring TB, and both are linked to poverty and both of them are SDG targets.
Article 14 of the WHO FCTC requires Parties to implement a series of measures to promote tobacco cessation. In 2010, the Conference of the Parties adopted guidelines for implementation of Article 14 that provides Parties with practical advice on how to integrate cessation services with the country’s health care infrastructure. If TB services could integrate brief advice on tobacco cessation, a large number of smokers could be reached, and TB treatment outcomes will improve.
For more than 10 years, various WHO departments have initiated a broad range of actions to advance their aims. The Convention Secretariat is now looking for opportunities to join this collaboration, and also engage with other partners, for example the Stop TB Partnership and the Global Fund. Our experience with multisectoral action at country level could be beneficial when streamlining action for TB control and tobacco cessation, including through national TB programmes. This collaboration could be seen as a cost-efficiency measure that is worth to be promoted as part of universal health coverage, the major goal for health reform in many countries.
The Secretariat of the WHO FCTC is committed to improving the quality of life and life-expectancy of TB patients, in the period leading up to the UN High-Level Meeting on TB and beyond. As implementation of SDG target 3.a could contribute to improving the outcomes of the global TB control efforts, the FCTC Secretariat highly recommends inclusion of implementation of the WHO FCTC in the outcome document of the UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
Thank you for your attention.