Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - June 9, 2008
Red Cross and Red Crescent community-based programmes have proven effective in reaching and caring for both people living with HIV and for tuberculosis patients.
There are many similarities in the care they provide. In both cases, our volunteers and staff ensure patients take their medication correctly, provide them with food when needed, offer social and psychological support, and also play a key role in addressing misconceptions and discrimination associated with HIV and TB.
Integrating the programmes is therefore a logical step and a cost-effective measure.
An example is our work in Kazakhstan, where the Red Crescent is providing a range of support a well as specialist medical, legal and psychosocial advice to help people living with TB/HIV cope with the difficult treatment process.
Currently, over 12,000 volunteers worldwide are supporting over 50,000 clients affected by TB, including over 10,000 people also living with HIV. Their activities complement the work of formal health systems by delivering care and support "beyond the clinic door", giving the poor and the marginalized essential access to health services, often in rural areas.
To improve TB/HIV control efforts, we must focus more resources at a community level.
By working with the people affected by TB/HIV to identify and meet their needs, rather than by imposing solutions upon them, we can also make the response to TB/HIV a truly inclusive one, and one that starts at the frontline.
A key element of our work is focused on partnerships. Our 186 member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as auxiliaries to the public authorities in the humanitarian field, have much to offer partners from all sectors worldwide.
It is our hope that today's important debate will strengthen partnership cooperation towards our common objectives.
This should involve proactive initiatives at the country level including Ministries of Health, but the contribution of the private sector is also vital.
I will give one example of such a wide partnership arrangement today, hoping that it will be seen by governments and other stakeholders as a valuable way of proceeding.
Our community-based work in TB and TB HIV co-infection needs the support of donors prepared to take a long-term perspective.
In this context, we very much appreciate the value of the partnership between the British Red Cross and AstraZeneca - a leading international pharmaceutical company.
AstraZeneca's funding has, since 2002, helped thousands of people living with TB to successfully complete their treatment and provided education to over 750,000 more people living at risk. The company is now supporting our work in TB HIV co-infection in countries such as Lesotho, South Africa and Kazakhstan.
Red Cross Red Crescent Societies are supporting humanitarian needs at the community level in Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, complementing the work done by governments and other actors.
We also encourage the development of national strategies to address the TB HIV crisis in our role as auxiliary to government.
In our experience, this form of partnering is vital to achieve our joint objectives.
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