The 2015 EFY (2022/23) has marked as a year of extra ordinary accomplishments for the National TB, Leprosy and Other Lung Diseases (TBLLD) Program. The national TB case notification has increased by more than 10,000 additional TB cases compared with previous year. There has been a notable expansion of molecular rapid TB diagnostics capacity. The country has rolled out the programmatic implementation of the 6-months BPaLM regimen for drug resistant TB patients a head of all high-burden countries. A new, evidence-informed, 7-years national TBLLD strategic plan was prepared following an extensive external program review and GC7 funding application to the Global Fund has been successfully completed. These are some of the huge undertakings of the year. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge our partners, agencies and research organizations, national and international experts for their extensive support in all of these milestones. This 9th edition of TBLLD annual bulletin presents editorial note, amazing stories of professionals and TB patients, insightful interviews, performance report of the 2015 EFY with trends of important TBL indicators, description of priority projects implemented by partner organizations and selected strategic initiatives to End TB in Ethiopia. I am glad the personal stories that deserves to be shared has become a culture of the annual bulletin and I hope readers will enjoy them and their experiences can be taken as a lesson and inspirational for young fellows. Hence, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the editors and all the editorial committee members. I want to extend my sincere acknowledgment to National tuberculosis and Leprosy Program team members, regional, Zonal and Woreda TBL program coordinators, officers and all health professionals providing diagnostic, curative, preventive and other related service to the needy patients all over the country, you are the foundation of our deliberations. Finally, my acknowledgment goes to USAID TB LON KAP project for covering the printing cost of this annual bulletin. Yes, together we can End TB and eliminate leprosy in Ethiopia!
Hiwot Solomon, Hiwot Solomon (PhD, MPH) Lead Executive Officer, Disease Prevention and Control Lead Executive Office, Ministry of Health-Ethiopia.
Click here to download The 9th edition of TBLLD annual bulletin.
