The first ACSM Strategy for TB control
September 24th, 2009
On September 24th Hotel Ramada Majestic from Bucharest was the host of the official launch of the Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilization Strategy (ACSM) for the Tuberculosis control, carried out by The Centre for Health Politics and Services (CHPS).
At the launch event were present a part of the physicians from the national Pneumophtyziology network, representatives of organizations and institutions that implement the TB program financed by Global Fund within the 6th Round, TB patients associations and also representatives of central sanitary authorities.
Tuberculosis (TB) continues to represent one the major challenges for the worldwide public health. Under the circumstances when no country is spared of this disease, the communities and population make sustainable efforts in limiting and changing the course of the TB. The TB intervention measures and prevention and control programs need the support of the community and politic factors as changing the course of the TB are included on the Millennium Development Objectives.
The new strategy Stop TB, initiated by WHO, recommends drawing up and implementing for each country a structured plan for advocacy, communication and social mobilization (ACSM), with the implication of all the active factors or decision makers so that the effective control of the TB becomes reality and the communities affected by TB can benefit of the support they need.
The process of drawing up the ACSM Strategy benefited of the Global Fund financing from Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation (RAA). Physicians, sociologists, social assistants, journalists and patients formed the team who worked for the strategy. There had been evaluated the needs of the TB patients from a pilot county, Maramures, having as a focus the correspondence of the treatment with the community's involvement in adopting TB control measurements and also on ensuring a psycho-social support for TB patients and fighting against their discrimination and stigmatization.
The research's conclusions represented one of the essential elements in drawing up the ACSM Strategy. The first step has been taken. The next step is to draw up the Strategy's implementation plan and engage its responsibility by the qualified decision makers.
The ACSM Strategy can be accessed for more information on its purpose and objectives as a reference pragmatic document.
