“TB now ranks alongside HIV as the leading cause of death from infectious disease, out of the 22 high burdens TB countries, the Commonwealth accounts for the top four countries; India, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya that account for 80% of the new TB cases. We have an opportunity to show political will to end TB. I call upon all the Ministers present to ensure that their Heads of State attend the first ever United Nations High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) on TB scheduled for 26 September, 2018 at UN Headquarters in New York and commit to using a rights based approach to end TB”.
This was the call made by our Executive Director, and Board member of the Developing Countries NGO Delegation Mr Allan Maleche when he spoke at the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Roundtable Meeting held on 20 April 2018 at the Lancaster House, and chaired by the Rt Hon Boris Johnson, MP, and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
The meeting provided over 40 civil society representatives from the Commonwealth People’s Forum an opportunity to interact with the Ministers. The primary objective of the meeting was to increase Ministers’ awareness of the People’s Forum Call to Action. Nana Asantewa Afadzinu, Ghanaian and Executive Director of West Africa Civil Society Institute, eloquently delivered this call.
Namhla Mniki-Mangaliso of African Monitor Rt Hon Boris Johnson indicated that the Ministers had a role to brief their fellow and heads of states about the outcome of the meeting.
KELIN will share the call to action with Ambassador Monica Juma, the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade who was present at the meeting with a view of ensuring the relevant Kenyan Cabinet Secretaries are appraised of the demands by civil society.
To contribute to the discussion and for live updates follow KELIN on our social media platforms using Twitter: @KELINkenya Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kelinkenya
For more information contact:
Allan Maleche
Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV & AIDS (KELIN)
4th Floor, Somak Building, Mombasa Road
PO Box 112-00200, KNH
Email: amaleche@kelinkenya.org
Mobile No: +254 708389870
