Regional framework for advocacy, communicatin and social mobilization

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most serious problems for health and development in the South-East Asia (SEA) Region of WHO. The Region has an estimated 4.88 million prevalent cases, an annual incidence of about 3.2 million TB cases and about half a million TB deaths, which equals one-third of the global burden of TB. Five of the Region's 11 Member States are among the 22 high-burden countries. Of the 3.6 million people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Region, roughly half are estimated to be coinfected with TB. There are nearly 130 000 new MDR-TB cases each year. Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has been isolated in samples from six countries in the Region. Member States have varied socioeconomic and demographic profiles, leading to varied challenges faced in each country. Considerable progress is being made, but national TB control programmes still face uncertainties regarding sustainable financial and operational resources; limited technical and management capacity; and weak national laboratory networks and procurement and supply management mechanisms. These factors are slowing the planned expansion of interventions for TB-HIV and MDR-TB. Advocacy, communication and social mobilization (ACSM) activities are required to address each of these challenges. The target audience and the agency undertaking each activity will differ from country to country. Though funds are allocated for ACSM activities in TB budgets, their actual use is low. High-profile, well-designed and sustained ACSM campaigns are required in order to have a substantial impact. Thus, there is a need for a regional framework for ACSM that will provide strategic direction for such activities at the regional as well as country levels.