More than 90 million TB patients were reported to WHO between 1980 and 2005; 26.5 million patients were notified by DOTS programme between 1995 and 2005, and 10.8 million new smear-positive cases were registered for treatment by DOTS programme between 1994 and 2004.

TB is still a major cause of death, every year TB kills more than 2 million people worldwide. Despite declaring Africa as TB emergency in 2005, TB control and AIDS are failing to adequately deal with the twin epidemics of TB and HIV. There were an estimated 8.8 million new TB cases in 2005, 7.4 million in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 1.6 million people died of TB, including 195,000 patients infected with HIV. (WHO Report)

Till date, in most developing countries DOTS, which underpins the Stop TB Strategy has improved greatly but not without challenges like inadequate public health personnel, inconsistent drug supply, more effective and accessible tools for testing and treating TB and community involvement.

In order to address these challenges, Afro Global Alliance and Chest Department Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, with financial support from the Stop TB Partnership – Challenge facility for Civil Society, have created the association <<TB VOICE NETWORK – AGA initiative>> (TVN).