Gandaki Youth Declaration to #EndTB

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The first-ever Provincial Youth Summit to End Tuberculosis (TB) Gandaki, was organized virtually on 23 and 24 December 2020 by TB Free World with NYMAT-Nepal and Youth for TB Free Gandaki.

NYMAT Nepal is a youth-led national movement against tuberculosis that has been carrying various activities contributing to reaching end TB targets, following its guiding principle -PAY (Public communication, Advocacy on TB and its kindred agendas, and Youth mobilization to end TB). To bolster the movement, NYMAT Nepal initiated its movement also on a provincial level as Youths for TB Free Gandaki in Gandaki province of Nepal. The independent youth TB advocates of NYMAT Nepal and Youths for TB Free Gandaki were honored to host the first-ever “Provincial Youth Summit to END TB” and the youth TB advocates participating in this event, assembled to mandate the following 5 point declaration to give a new direction towards sustainable TB advocacy.

We recognize that TB remains the top infectious killer disease and a major public health issue in developing countries like Nepal with 115 new cases, 15 deaths, and 27 missed cases every other day. The country’s productive age group is among the highly affected ones as well as people with HIV are at higher risk where antimicrobial resistance contributes to disease causation. TB in children has also been a major public health problem. Empowering TB prevention and care we shall march to make Gandaki, first TB Free Province of Nepal.

• We commit to advocate and communicate on TB, its sign and symptoms, treatment and prevention mobilizing youth power in order to enhance the health status and quality of life of people with TB and its survivors.
• We pledge to assimilate the WHO’s 1+1 youth initiative to End TB and Youth Declaration to End TB at all levels of our mobilization.
• We urge to fight against the stigma and discrimination that TB patients and survivors face, and establish a stigma and discrimination-free community with empathy and psychosocial support.
• We appeal to the future health workforce, researchers, scientists to utilize the available resources and investigate to bridge the gaps between TB care and prevailing TB problems.
• We call on the young minds of Gandaki, policymakers, stakeholders, local, provincial and central bodies, public and private organizations, and institutions to act together with us and support our plans and programs like; Ward/Palika advocate program.

Organizers acknowledged the valuable presence of NTCC, NAPN, and other keynote speakers in our first ever Provincial Youth summit to End TB. Organizers also recognize and express our deep appreciation to partners and those who have led the effort/support to strengthen the network for the national and provincial youth TB movement across the country.

Recommended post: National Tuberculosis Control Centre (NTCC)

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Related documents

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• National Tuberculosis Program Update in Nepal #WorldTBDay #EndTB
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• World Tuberculosis Day 2020! It’s time to End TB!
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• Global Tuberculosis Report 2019: Latest status of the tuberculosis epidemic
• National TB Prevalence Survey, 2018-19 Key findings
• New WHO recommendations to prevent tuberculosis aim to save millions of lives
• World Health Organization (WHO) Information Note Tuberculosis and COVID-19
• World Tuberculosis Day 2020! It’s time to End TB!
• People-centred framework for tuberculosis programme planning and prioritization, User guide

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