Race Against TB seminar

13 July 2010

100 leaders from the NHS, local government and the third sector were recently brought together by TB Alert and Race for Health to produce a set of best practice recommendations to tackle the health inequalities that lie at the heart of the rising incidence of TB.

The ‘Race Against Tuberculosis’ seminar, held at the King’s Fund Centre in London on 30th June, heard that the failure to tackle TB is killing people, blighting the lives of many more, particularly in BME communities, and creating strains that threaten the effectiveness of drug therapy. The event highlighted the need to address TB within a social model of health, to drive forward improvements in access to TB services and outcomes for patients.

Delegates were reminded of the urgency to act, with a stark warning that after a further rise of 5.5 per cent in TB incidence in the UK last year, the number of new cases threatens to outstrip cases in the USA by 2014.

Mike Mandelbaum, Chief Executive of TB Alert, told the audience how the UK risked failing to meet the  Millennium Development Goal of halting and reversing the incidence of TB by 2015, let alone getting near the much more ambitious Stop TB target of halving prevalence compared to 1990.  He called for statutory health bodies and local government to work closely with local voluntary sector organisations to develop integrated plans to ensure people with TB access local services as early as possible.

Nick Relph, Chair of London TB Commissioning and Chief Executive of Hounslow PCT, called for the Mayor of London to support the newly-formed London TB Commissioning’s upcoming action plan for the capital’s TB services.  He highlighted how, as world media attention begins to focus on London, our increasing levels of TB threaten to embarrass Britain in the run up to the Olympics.

‘We are hosting the Olympics in two years, yet we have got more than 3,000 new cases a year of tuberculosis in London alone. This is a very serious situation that needs strong political leadership to get everyone working together.

‘We have seen the attention that poverty and ill-health has received in South Africa, alongside the glamour of the World Cup. We need to set our own house in order before the Olympics throw a similar spotlight on our capital.’

The event, co-hosted by TB Alert and Race for Health, the NHS based programme that works with Trusts and PCTs to drive forward improvements in health for people from BME backgrounds, also heralded the launch of the Race for Health’s TB programme.

A series of lively workshops was held, covering good practice in community engagement, commissioning TB awareness, linking clinical and social approaches, and embedding an integrated approach with local government partners. Workshops were led with presentations from organisations already delivering innovative TB programmes across the public and third sectors, which inspired the shared insights and experiences that shaped the recommendations from the day.

A report of the seminar will be published during the summer. To receive a copy please email your contact details to thetruthabouttb@tbalert.org