Roadmap to implement the tuberculosis action plan for the WHO European Region 2016–2020. Towards ending tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (2016)

2016, x + 52 pages
ISBN 978 92 890 5169 9
This publication is only available online.

The WHO Regional Office for Europe conducted a participatory process extending throughout the WHO European Region, to develop an action plan to operationalize the global End TB Strategy in Europe for its subsequent adaptation by countries. The WHO Regional Committee for Europe adopted the tuberculosis action plan for the WHO European Region 2016–2020 in 2015.

In line with Health 2020 and other key regional health strategies and polices, the action plan sets a regional goal and targets for the care and control of tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant TB by defining strategic directions and describes activities to be carried out by stakeholders. The action plan is based on the lessons learnt in implementing its predecessor, the consolidated action plan to prevent and combat multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in the WHO European Region 2011–2015. The new action plan is applicable to all countries in the Region, including both high-priority countries and those with a low incidence of TB. The implementation of the new action plan would mean saving an estimated 3.1 million lives, curing 1.4 million patients and preventing 1.7 million new cases of all forms of TB. The cost of implementing the plan is estimated at US$ 15 billion. Based on the economic analysis of lives saved and avoidable suffering prevented, the plan should prove highly cost-effective, resulting in savings of US$ 48 billion.