Deepti Chavan, MDR-TB survivor and TB advocate in her home in Mumbai. CREDIT: Javier Galeano / The Union

FROM EVIDENCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONThe Union is a global scientific organisation with the mission to improve health among people living in poverty. We do that by conducting scientific research, working with governments and other agencies to translate research into better health for people around the world, and delivering projects directly in the field. The Union is made up of a membership body of people around the world who help to advance our mission, and a scientific institute that implements public health projects within countries. For close to 100 years, we have been leaders in the fight against some of the world’s biggest killers, including tuberculosis, lung diseases and tobacco use.

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• The Union published a new report, ‘Silent Epidemic: A Call to Action Against Child TB ’, highlighting the urgent action needed to protect children from tuberculosis (TB). The report raises awareness of the issue and advocates for high-level involvement, as essential to ending the emergency. Read the report at childtb.theunion.org

• The Union’s President, Dr Jeremiah Chakaya Muhwa, addressed the high-level leadership at the first-ever United Nations (UN) High-Level Meeting (HLM) on TB, held on 26 September 2018 in New York. Dr Chakaya made three proposals: revolutionise prevention, increase demand for TB services, and create the space for engaging new partners through TB Prevention Month.

• The Union was selected to co-lead a new global tobacco industry watchdog called STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) to monitor industry interference in policy, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

• Final results from Stage 1 of the STREAM randomised clinical trial showed that a nine-to-11-month treatment regimen is as effective in treating multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), when given under trial conditions, as the 20–24-month treatment regimen recommended in the 2011 WHO guidelines.

• The Union’s Centre for Operational Research (COR), established in 2009 to enhance the operational research capacity of low- and middle-income countries, published its 1000th scientific paper in September 2018. SORT IT courses aim to build capacity of public health professionals in countries with serious communicable disease epidemics and growing epidemics of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

• The Call to Action for a TB-Free India, a nationwide campaign to unite stakeholders across sectors to defeat TB in India, culminated in 17 partnerships where corporate social responsibility funds have been directed into TB projects.

• The Global Asthma Network, of which The Union is a partner, launched the Global Asthma Report 2018 in the lead up to the UN HLM on NCDs. The report called attention to the fact that approximately 1000 people each day die from asthma, yet many people are unable to access the quality-assured essential asthma medicines and care they need.

OUR IMPACTIn 2018, The Union’s 779 staff and consultants offered technical assistance, provided education and training and conducted research in 65 countries. Union members in 144 countries worked to fulfil our common vision of health solutions for people worldwide.

KNOW.We conduct research to provide evidence for public health policy and practice.

SHARE.We disseminate scientific knowledge to strengthen public health programmes.

ACT.We deliver services and conduct advocacy to safeguard people’s health.

THESE PR INC IPLES HAVE DR IVEN THE UN ION’S WORK S INCE ITS FOUNDING NEARLY 100 YEARS AGO

theunion.org @TheUnion_TBLH @TheUnionLungHealth

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