IDSA Meets with U.S. U.N. Mission to Discuss Priorities for TB

Several IDSA members, including President-Elect Cindy Sears, MD, FIDSA and Global Health Committee Chair Tom Quinn, MD, FIDSA met with Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelley Currie, earlier this month at the U.S. mission to the U.N. to discuss the upcoming U.N. High Level Meeting on Ending Tuberculosis, scheduled during the UN General Assembly on September 26. This was the first time this Administration’s U.S. mission had met with a group to discuss a health issue.

Members discussed IDSA priorities going into the High Level Meeting, including the development of a political declaration that includes strong targets on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, as well as the development of new tools including affordable, point of care rapid diagnostics and an effective vaccine. Members also presented the Deputy Ambassador with this letter spearheaded by IDSA on U.S. leadership and priorities signed by over 900 physicians, researchers and other health professionals working in TB elimination.

Deputy Ambassador Currie was receptive to IDSA’s requests and said the U.S. mission would convene with missions of high TB-burden countries to further discuss targets and an accountability framework in the High Level Meeting political declaration. IDSA will continue to engage with the administration, U.N., WHO, and other key stakeholders as we work toward the High Level Meeting, including participating in additional civil society meetings with other nations’ U.N. missions in June.