October 25-28, 2023, Washington, D.C. – Sixteen representatives of communities affected by tuberculosis (TB), with experience in TB during pregnancy, gathered to reach a consensus on the inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women and other individuals in TB treatment and vaccine research.
This community meeting was part of a broader event organized by the Supporting, Mobilizing, and Accelerating Research for Tuberculosis Elimination (SMART4TB) consortium, the International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials (IMPAACT) Network, and the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Tuberculosis Programme.
During the meeting, community representatives identified consensus positions on how pregnant and breastfeeding women and other individuals should be included in TB research. These positions were developed through discussions with scientists and clinical experts, as well as based on practical experience and the work conducted by representatives within TB-affected communities.
The goal of this document is to ensure that these positions inform discussions and recommendations that will emerge from the ongoing scientific consensus process. This process aims to lay the foundation for a future WHO Consensus Statement on the Early Inclusion of Pregnant Women and Other Individuals in TB Research.
Attached, you will find the joint statement in both Russian and English, where each position is highlighted in bold and accompanied by a rationale. At the end of the document, community representatives issue a call to action and commit to working alongside communities to ensure these calls are implemented in practice.
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