Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The Tuberculosis Research Advisory Council (TRAC) has re-elected its current Chairperson, Professor Afework Kassu, Director General of the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), and Vice Chairperson, Professor Gemeda Abebe from Jimma University, to serve for another three-year term.
The decision was made during the council’s regular meeting, held at AHRI following the successful conclusion of the 19th TRAC annual TB Research conference. Council members convened to discuss seven key agenda items, including a review of the recent conference, the election of council leaders, and strategic planning for the future.
Professor Afework Kassu mentioned the successful outcome of the 19th TRAC Annnual TB Research Conference and World TB Day commemorations, attributing it to “pragmatic leadership” at the Ministry of Health, South Ethiopia Regional Health Bureau, and Arba Minch University levels. He also expressed his sincere gratitude to all partners and stakeholders whose contributions were vital to the conference’s realization, particularly in light of existing challenges.The professor also suggested that the presentations and discussions from the conference should be synthesized to in a way that informs the National TB Program.
The 19th TRAC conference was held amidst global funding constraints, which resulted in limitations in both financial and technical support from the council’s long-standing partners.Mr. Taye Letta, Head of the National TB, Leprosy, and other Lung Disease Desk at the Ministry of Health, acknowledged the significant resource gaps encountered during the planning process. He emphasized that these challenges were overcome through considerable effort, highlighting the “local potential” within the country. Mr. Taye recommended that the positive experiences and strategies employed during the event should be scaled up for future initiatives.
The meeting also featured discussions on enhancing private sector engagement and ensuring the effective utilization of available resources.
A key agenda item was the election of the council’s chair and vice chair, as the current leadership’s three-year term had concluded. TRAC members unanimously suggested extending the service of the existing leadership, recognizing their positive impact and the council’s consistent progress under their guidance.
Following the consensus, Professor Afework Kassu and Professor Gemeda Abebe were re-elected as Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the TRAC council, respectively.
Furthermore, the council established a dedicated resource mobilization task force to proactively secure funding for future activities. This task force will be led by Dr. Messay Hailu, Director General of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), and will comprise seven members.
During the meeting, Dr. Alemseged Abdissa, Deputy Director General of AHRI, shared encouraging progress made by the Southern and East African Regional Network for TB Control, a regional initiative inspired by TRAC and comprising 22 national TB programs.
