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A TB-REP 2.0 Coaching Team traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan on November 12th-14th. TB Europe Coalition (TBEC) and Center for Health Policies and Studies (PAS Center) representatives visited the capital city to build civil society capacity and contribute to moving partners towards ensuring people-centered TB services in the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The visit provided exciting opportunities to establish dialogue between diverse stakeholders. Local NGO Saglamliga Khidmat representatives accompanied the Coaching Team to meetings with Ministry of Health (MOH), State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance, National TB Program (NTP), and WHO representatives, as well as Parliament members, doctors, and CSOs representatives.
During the meetings, the Team promoted a National Dialogue for key stakeholders and decision-makers in the Republic of Azerbaijan as a step towards unifying approaches and building partnerships with civil society, TB-affected communities, the NTP, and health workers.
Saglamliga Khidmat coordinates the TB Azerbaijan Coalition, which links TB sector organizations and enables their collaboration. The Coaching Team noted the leadership's competence to respond to local circumstances but funding is needed to expand their support of national activities against TB.
The recently-created Council for State Support of NGOs provides grants supporting work in welfare fields. While TB activities are currently not included, TB will be a priority in the next call. Further interventions are vital to boost acknowledgement of CSO's involvement and their role as more than advocates with information campaigns.
Gradual shifts in Azerbaijan are powering TB reform. The Republic of Azerbaijan is initiating mandatory health insurance. The insurance program was piloted in three regions and will be launched nationwide January 1st, 2020.
The basic insurance package includes X-rays and funds hospitals where TB care is provided. While TB-specific services are not yet part of the package, the State Agency on Mandatory Health insurance do not exclude that TB services will be included in the coming years and also indicated support for people-centered care.
Program partners have an important role to ensure a comprehensive insurance package. Work to demonstrate social support for patients as an inalienable element of TB care is underway with TB-REP's technical partner, the WHO Regional office for Europe.
Beyond working on existing measures, there are upcoming opportunities for CSOs to impact policy. Saglamliga Khidmat and the Coalition are involved in the preparation of the next National TB Plan which will run 2021-2025 as well as the next Global Fund application.
In 2018, PAS Center together with implementing partners have designed a new regional project (TB-REP 2.0) to advance towards people-centered approaches ensuring provision of quality TB and DR-TB care and prevention in EECA region, based on previous experience and lessons learned from the implementation of the regional TB-REP program designed to contribute to strengthening health systems’ responses to TB in the longer term. The overall goal of TB-REP 2.0 is to foster timely TB case detection and improved treatment outcomes in patients with special emphasis on drug-resistant TB, in eleven EECA countries through meaningful involvement of communities and civil society and integrated people-centered TB care delivery systems able to address the needs of key and vulnerable populations. The program incorporates the full spectrum of DR-TB prevention and care issues, targeting both health and sustainable community systems for improved quality and strengthened people-centered approaches in TB care delivery.
Acest proiect este finanțat de Fondul Global de Combaterea SIDA, Tuberculozei şi Malariei
