Accelerating Efforts to End TB

Each year, we commemorate World Tuberculosis (TB) Day to raise awareness about the devastating health, social, and economic consequences of TB. Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease; while preventable and curable, 4,000 people still die from TB each day. This year’s theme— ‘The Clock is Ticking’—sounds the alarm that the world is running out of time to act on the commitments made by global leaders at the UN High Level Meeting in 2018.

USAID launched the Global Accelerator to End TB to help countries meet the ambitious goal of diagnosing and enrolling an additional 40 million people on TB treatment by 2022. However, the global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted TB services in the world’s highest TB burden countries, threatening to reverse years of progress.

Through direct engagement with local governments, TIFA co-designs TB commitment grants that accelerate progress toward national and global TB targets—even in the face of COVID-19

As part of the Global TB Accelerator, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded TB Implementation Framework Agreement (TIFA) project co-designs TB commitment grants (TCGs) with National TB Programs. TCGs are fixed amount awards designed to align with national TB strategic plans. Under TCGs, accountability is based on results—negotiated milestones are tied to payments. 

National TB programs and USAID identify opportunities to address national TB priorities through TB commitment grants

TB commitment grants are designed in response to priorities and opportunities identified by National TB programs with USAID missions. NTPs own and account for program impact as they implement TB commitment grants based on their national strategic plan priorities. NTPs define their success through identifying and achieving time-bound milestones.

TB commitment grants provide opportunities for countries to use—and strengthen, when needed—their systems to manage their national response

Good governance, effective structures and systems, and transparent operations are fundamental to end TB. TIFA’s capacity-strengthening philosophy embraces USAID’s focus on local ownership through trusting and respectful partnerships. TIFA understands that capacity-strengthening support should be demand-driven and designed in concert with national TB programs. 

While COVID-19 has had a devastating global impact over the past year, we must not give up on the fight against TB—hard won gains are threatened. The clock is ticking—it’s time to end TB.