The organisations have taken the decision to come together in the Stop TB Europe partnership due to an alarming rise in the cases of multi drug-resistant TB and the more recent emergence of extreme drug-resistant TB which does not respond to any mode of treatment.
According to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies insufficient control measures and the misuse of TB medication have led to this overwhelming increase of drug-resistant TB. The problem is particularly rife in Europe where around 450,000 people contract TB each year with 70,000 of these cases ending in mortalities.
The alliance are urging the European Union to act on this issue before it gets out of control. They aim to lobby the EU to actively engage on the problem and provide the necessary financial resources, technical resources and manpower to advance TB treatments.
The Partnership also intends to involve as many powerful actors as possible including the media, academic institutions and enterprises in order to boost awareness and maximise their influence at European level.
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