A framework action plan to fight tuberculosis in the European Union.

Framework Action Plan to fight tuberculosis in the European Union 2 PREFACE The European Union's (EU) Health Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, called on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in March 2007 to develop a proposal for an action plan to fight tuberculosis (TB) in the EU 1. This initiative reflects the priority given to TB in the EU where this disease is a continuing public health threat. Many EU Member States show a positive evolution in TB trends 2 and will likely move towards a situation with low tuberculosis incidence rates. However, the epidemiological patterns are still very diverse between countries, and control efforts are challenged by problems such as multidrug-resistant (MDR TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR TB), TB/HIV co-infection and the concentration of cases within vulnerable groups. Action needs to be taken to maintain and enhance the current achievements, addressing the different needs of Member States, with the aim of reducing and ultimately eliminating TB. This will not be possible without the political commitment to provide the necessary resources. In addition, the EU cannot ignore the TB situation in the wider European Region and in the rest of the world. Indeed, the WHO Regional Office for Europe has declared TB a regional emergency. At the Ministerial Forum held in Berlin in October 2007, ministers from all over Europe showed their concern and committed themselves to regularly monitor and evaluate the implementation of the agreed actions to control TB 3. ECDC experts in collaboration with Member States' and other experts have developed a Framework Action Plan to fight TB in the EU. This plan provides direction on what needs to be done in the EU Member States, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (EEA/EFTA countries) * , whether at national or at the Community level. It also considers the situation in certain non-EU countries from which a lot of European TB cases originate and highlights the need to support them in order to decrease the burden of TB in Europe and globally. It is in line with the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals 4 and the WHO Stop TB Strategy 5. These goals and strategies have been developed and agreed internationally and form the basis for TB control and treatment efforts. 6. Five of these high-priority countries are direct neighbours of the EU (Belarus, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine) and another five are members of …