Feature Story

UNAIDS Executive Director, Dr
Peter Piot signing the 'Call to Stop
TB'

Executive Director of UNAIDS, Dr Peter Piot has joined the list of high-ranking officials and celebrities who have signed the ‘Call to Stop TB’. In signing the Call Dr Piot has emphasised UNAIDS’ commitment to tackling tuberculosis as one of the most important causes of illness and death amongst people living with HIV.

The ‘Call to Stop TB’ is an appeal to world leaders, governments, non-governmental organizations, civil society, the private sector and individuals to endorse, fully fund and implement the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015, which aims to save 14 million lives and achieve the Millennium Development Goal targets for TB by 2015. Dr Piot signed the ‘Call’ after a round table discussion at the opening session of the Stop TB Partnership Coordinating Board meeting.

During the round table Dr Piot reiterated the threat that TB and especially drug-resistant TB pose to people living with HIV, but stated that the threat was also a key opportunity to develop closer collaboration between TB and HIV programmes and to deliver better and more comprehensive care to individuals and communities affected by both diseases.

Together with Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization, Jorge Sampaio, United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Stop TB and former president of Portugal, and Helen Evans and Michel Kazatchkine of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, they discussed with the Stop TB Coordinating Board members how to mobilize greater political commitment to tackling TB.