Strengthening health professional associations to enable them to

contribute to TB control

Group 2

Facilitators:

Dr Nevin Wilson, The Union

and Dr Pierre-Yves Norval, WHO/HQ

Summary of Discussion• Professional associations are rather at an academic level – how to bring interface with NTP –

need to transition to public health• Starting point: Identify possible role the professional associations can have• Series of steps:

– Situation analysis, identify problems– Think how to work together – develop interests within associations : ISTC– Develop objectives of collaboration– Process: TOR, MOU– Need to have structure within NTP + Med Associations to oversee the functions

• Challenge: – What in countries where no strong professional association ?

• Should NTP initiate the collaboration? Yes, but not forming associations– What in countries where many associations – India: IMA accepted to form coalition among other

organizations– Sensitivities between MOH and national medical associations– Lower income versus higher responsibilities with NTP collaboration

• Myanmar: CCM = country leadership in recognizing medical associations – Chair : Minister– Vice Chair: MMA

• Suggestion to start at Medical Schools to sensitize future members of professional associations• Suggestion to organize and train groups for case holding (Red Cross, youth groups, …)• Need to have consensus on ‘think globally’ but countries themselves ‘act locally’• Start sensitization, then progress to training• Advocacy role in legislation (for example drug policy)• Advocacy role in guiding Government policy

Strengthening health professional associationsActivities to strengthen health professional associations

What do the professional associations need to do for this?

Support, if any, required from outside?

Diagnosis, situation analysis Establish Task Force among different type of association; specialist – private provider – medical school

NTP to be the interface to initiate dialogue + provide technical and financial support; identify focal person; adapt specific tool development

Technical support in proposal writing and project design

Develop infrastructure within the professional organization

Strengthen collaboration between public, private and patient initiated by NTP

Need to expand patient groups within their scope of interest

Networking among different associations - different disciplines

Sharing of interest and outcomes; 1 umbrella association to coordinate

Leveraging other groups such as Rotary, Red Cross

Enlarging the interest by the association

M&E, impact measurement Collaboration, commitment