Parliamentary representatives from around the world came together to establish the Global TB Caucus committed to an effective fight against tuberculosis. The Caucus will cooperate with official organisations such as the World Health Organisation, UNITAID, Global Fund, Stop TB Partnership, Union and USAID, as well as NGOs from all over the world.

In her opening address, Committee Chairperson Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic Dejanovic said that she had convened today’s sitting at the request of MP Prof. Dr Dusan Milisavljevic who had asked that the Committee discuss the initiative.

Djukic Dejanovic said that, despite the significant progress achieved in the last decade, tuberculosis remains a very real health problem in many countries of the World Health Organisation European region, but the Republic of Serbia is one of the 37 countries of the European region with a low TB rate, meaning that the trend of contracting and dying from the disease has been decreasing in Serbia in the last ten years.

She said that the Committee she chairs had between January and April of this year been constantly kept informed on the legislative and other activities concerning the protection of the citizens from infectious diseases, followed the situation along with experts and informed the public about the significance of vaccination for the prevention of the spread of diseases. She also informed the attending about the Serbian Health Ministry’s project Control of TB in Serbia, funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, completed after 10 years on 30 September and resulting in more than 60% reduction of TB in Serbia.

“The Committee believes that fighting infectious diseases calls for a comprehensive approach from the state and the society, and having reviewed the situation in the area the Committee initiated an amendment of the legislation, expressing its dedication to the fight against infectious diseases”, concluded the Committee Chairperson.

MP Prof. Dr Dusan Milisavljevic explained his initiative and asked the Committee to endorse it so that Serbia could rank among the countries that bend their efforts to fight tuberculosis, stressing that this is the first time this very serious disease has garnered global attention. On the occasion, Milisavljevic commended the health policy of the Health Ministry which endorsed the initiative on 22 September thus becoming one of the European health ministries that have supported the fight against tuberculosis.

“I am glad to have been given the opportunity to cooperate with the Ministry of Health on the joint project which reflects the maturity and readiness of the Serbian health administration to stand shoulder to shoulder with European countries”, said the MP.

The sitting was attended by State Secretary at the Ministry of Health Prof. Dr Berislav Vekic and Director of Dr Milan Jovanovic Batut Public Health Institute Dr Dragan Ilic, and associates.

The sitting was chaired by Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic Dejanovic, Committee Chairperson.