Tuberculosis

By: Kelly Doyle

Tri-Sector Engagement includes an environment or issue in which all three of the sectors play a role in the development and importance; the public, private, and nonprofit sectors . Tri-sector engagement includes the ways in which all three of these sectors work together, and what happens in a given environment when they do. Karl Holm shares that “The Stop TB Partnership, a network of more than 800 partners from all sectors concerned with eliminating TB, has seen increasing commitment from the private sector in helping the Partnership to meet the goals of the Global Plan to Stop TB”(2). This leads readers to believe that all sectors have been playing an active role. However this article mentions the ways in which the private sector has taken special interest in the issue and efforts being conducted to stop the spread of TB. It seems that the private sector has been taking the initiative, with the help of this agency, to encourage all other sectors to be placing importance on this issue.

Holm also shares that “Momentum has built up expectations to take the Private Sector Constituency to the next level in terms of making a positive impact on the Partnership. The general consensus from the current interviews, which confirms the points expressed at past Private Sector Constituency meetings, is that much potential exists for enhanced engagement when the following chief challenges can be met”(2).

In another article by the CDC organization, we see public sector efforts currently being taken on the issue. The CDC mentions “an essential role of the public health sector in TB control is to plan, coordinate, and evaluate TB control and prevention efforts. This role requires that state and local health departments focus and provide oversight on the following critical elements: Planning and policy development; Contact investigation; Clinical and diagnostic services for patients with TB and their contacts; Training and education; Surveillance data and information management; and Monitoring and evaluation”(1).

Lastly, we see efforts for non-profit sector engagement in an article by Haileyesus Getahun and Mario Raviglione. In the article, they share that “Civil society organizations are non-profit organizations that include nongovernmental, faith-based, community-based and patient-based organizations as well as professional associations. They are sometimes referred to as the “third sector”, the government and private-for-profit representing the “first” and “second” sectors respectively”(3). They continue on to share that “a major problem is that one in three estimated TB cases globally is either not formally reported in the public system or not reached at all by existing services.

TB is rarely recognized as a priority by national political authorities, United Nations agencies, development banks, the pharmaceutical industry and philanthropic organizations. TB is often neglected within development, human rights and social justice agendas. Despite causing more than half a million deaths a year among women and more than 50 000 deaths among children, TB control is rarely acknowledged within maternal and child health initiatives, thus ignoring its intrinsic links to Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6”(3). I believe that this source shows how much is not being done to fund the research and help efforts for TB, as it seems like the nonprofit sector has absolutely nothing to show for their efforts. More needs to be done by all 3 sectors to stop the spread of Tuberculosis.

Resources

CDC. Community Tuberculosis Control. Retrieved March 14, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/tb/education/corecurr/pdf/chapter8.pdf
Holm, K. R. (2009, October 25). Business Engagement Strategy for the Stop TB Partnership’s Private Sector Constituency. Retrieved March 14, 2017, from http://www.stoptb.org /assets/documents/about/cb/meetings/17/2.09-07%20Private%20Sector%20Strateg y/2.09-07.1%20PSC%20strategy%20paper%2025oct09.pdf
Transforming the global tuberculosis response through effective engagement of civil society organizations: the role of the World Health Organization. (2011, May 17). Retrieved March 14, 2017, from http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/8/11-086801/en/

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