During the first two years of the FPA the activities of TBEC proved that greater collaboration and networking capacity across the region has value and is needed at EU level as many countries move/aim to move towards gaining EU membership.
The target countries to be mapped in 2017 include all EU member states, in order to further strengthen TBEC’s understanding and positioning on TB in the EU. TB in some of the EU countries (Romania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania) still presents a real threat to the EU due to the mobility of populations in the region. Greater knowledge of civil society stakeholders in these countries will help strengthen the outreach of TBEC activities that include capacity building and information dissemination, and in return the activities will help to contribute to the development of more effective policies to address the TB epidemic in the EU and in neighbouring countries.

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Stakeholders will continue to be able to access the information and knowledge they need to elevate their engagement with national and regional decision-makers. Increased exchange throughout the EU and the entire WHO European Region via the TBEC website will encourage the adoption of best practices, greater coordination between different countries and an increased capacity of civil society stakeholders to carry out their work. In addition, the focus of TBEC’s 2017 thematic report will be on transitions from donor financing as many countries in the region have had issues with donor withdrawal.
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TBEC outreach is normally conducted on an informal level throughout the year, and most of those actions that TBEC take will additionally serve to expand the network and support more members. Bulgaria has been identified as a priority country for the country visit in 2017. The country visits in the years 2015 and 2016 proved that the country visits and meeting directly with civil society members during workshops and meetings is an effective outreach tool and means of building the capacity of civil society and affected communities at national level.

This work stream will also include the development and distribution of promotional materials that are disseminated to national focal points and the Steering Committee to help them network and expand the reach of TBEC within their country and at regional conferences and events. The leaflet that was produced in 2015 will be updated and will be produced in both English and Russian so that it is fully accessible to target groups.
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TBEC for last two years strengthened and proved its strong role as a network representative of civil society in the region at EU and regional levels. It utilises the expertise of the Secretariat in developing strategic relationships and access to decision-making spaces, enabling the voice of civil society to be included within discussions that directly impact upon the response to TB at different levels.
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