Scientific Sections
As a member, your membership gets linked to ONE section or sub section of your choosing. You can still receive information and participate in other Union group activities also.
TUBERCULOSIS
The tuberculosis (TB) section is the largest section of The Union, and brings together a diverse group of members who share a primary interest in TB prevention and care, and in persons and communities affected by TB worldwide
TOBACCO CONTROL
The Tobacco Control Section is comprised of Union members who share common professional interests in creating a tobacco free world through active collaborations, dissemination of ideas and demonstration of leadership in policy, practice and scientific research. While upholding The Union’s key traits of quality, innovation, sustainability, the members work closely to organise webinars on varied tobacco control topics of interest to international audience, and assist tobacco control implementers and advocates with policy making in their countries, and contribute to the scientific programme of the Union World Lung Conference. The section works on diverse areas of tobacco control through its two working groups - MPOWER Research Group and the Protecting children from tobacco industry interference in health policies. The Protecting children group has very recently ceased.
To stay connected and facilitate peer to peer learning, the Tobacco Control section launched an exclusive Facebook Group in 2021 Further, it has established a fully functional virtual Resource Centre for Tobacco Control in India. The resource centre is a hub to all activities related to tobacco control in India and has been accessed by 150,000 users from 80+ countries. Under this centre, two tobacco control courses (Basic-3 months & Advanced- 6 months) were launched to empower and build capacity of professionals in tobacco control (www.elearningforpublichealth.com/courses).
A virtual National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH), a national summit and many webinars/ national consultations were conducted in India for sharing contextual experiences and best practices in tobacco control to advance tobacco control in India. In series of regular webinars of The Union, the section organized a webinar titled “Scaling up Tobacco Cessation in High-Burden Countries for Eliminating Tuberculosis: Interventions & Way forward.” on World TB Day 2022. The group has recently initiated an Endgame Hub In India in collaboration with group members and in technical support of The Union.
ADULT AND CHILD LUNG HEALTH
The Adult and Child Lung Health Section includes the following areas of interest:
- Adult Lung Health: including pneumonia, asthma, COPD, air pollution, occupational lung disease and non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
- Child Lung Health: Childhood TB, HIV, childhood pneumonia, other child lung health issues and child lung-related NCDs.
The section is working with other international organisations (such as the WHO and Global Asthma Network) to provide joined-up advocacy for asthma and chronic lung disease.
We are working to amplify voices of those affected by lung disease through speakers and collected videos. We are also writing guidance for clinicians dealing with post-tuberculosis lung disease.
Recent Adult and Child section achievements:
- An international stakeholder meeting on asthma held in March 2022.
- Paper accepted by IJTLD for publication in November issue and is aligned with World Conference on Lung Health
HIV
The HIV section, primarily focuses on TB in the context of HIV, individuals who are co-infected with TB and HIV, and individuals with TB who also have other co-morbidities and conditions, including diabetes, hepatitis and drug and alcohol misuse. Despite challenges of conducting in-person membership activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the section has maintained a stable membership.
Current Activities:
The section has been active in organizing section elections, reviewing abstracts and session submissions for the 2022 Union conference, organized webinars on TB and co-morbidities, and actively contributed to the section strategic planning efforts. Session specific organizing webinars are being planned.
Scientific Sub-sections
TB Nurses and Allied Professionals
The Nurses and Allied Professionals Sub-section (NAPs) represents nurses, health educators and other allied professionals dedicated to ending TB. The Sub-Section is comprised of members from many disciplines who work across a spectrum of activities, services and organisations with expertise and interests relating to clinical care and public health management of TB and lung disease, tobacco control, training and education to build capacity, health promotion, stigma reduction, disease prevention, civil society, research and ethics. A strength of the group and members is the diversity of knowledge, skills and expertise within their global community of practice.
Zoonotic TB
The Zoonotic webpage is here
TB Bacteriology and Immunology
The TB Bacteriology and Immunology Sub-Section advocates for the importance of laboratory related research and implementation to detect TB infection and determine drug susceptibility in support of the End TB strategy.
Union Members share their thoughts on the benefits of being a part of a specific scientific section within The Union.
It's the one place in the science community where we can come together and talk about tuberculosis.
“The Sub-section has taken a leading role in the prevention and control of zoonotic TB and related issues. At the Union World Conference, we launched the The Road Map for Zoonotic TB, a policy document that addressed the major health and economic impacts of this disease, prioritising collation of scientific evidence, reducing transmission at the animal-human interface, and strengthening intersectoral and collaborative approaches.”
Former Chair of The Union’s Zoonotic TB Sub-section, Prof Simeon Cadmus, Professor at the Centre for Control and Prevention of Zoonoses at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Working Groups
Members are invited to join any of our working groups.
Tuberculosis scientific section working groups
TB and Migration
The TB and Migration working group focuses on tuberculosis among migrants, including epidemiology and risk factors in countries of origin, during transit and after arrival in countries of destination, and during their potential return. The group supports this emerging and under researched field through webinars, symposia, conferences and scientific papers and has a role in informing policy within The Union.
Work includes webinars, symposia, and advocacy - including influencing policy (e.g. drafting statements etc).
Recent TB and Migration achievements:
- Union statement on TB and migration during COVID
- A significant presence in Union conferences, including another symposium this year on TB and forced migration
- A TB and Migration website
TB Infection Control
The TB Infection Control working group is focused on the monitoring and evaluation of tuberculosis infection controls in health facilities and health systems.
Global Indigenous Stop TB Initiative Group
The GISI working group page is here
TB and Mental Health
The goal of the TB and Mental Health working group is to establish a community of practitioners and researchers to advance attention to mental illnesses and substance abuse in the context of tuberculosis care and control. Mental illnesses, such as depression and PTSD, and substance use disorders, such as alcohol and opioid dependence, are strongly associated with tuberculosis; populations affected by mental health disorders are typically vulnerable and at higher risk for tuberculosis infection, and individuals with tuberculosis often suffer from these disorders, complicating and undermining care and resulting in poor treatment outcomes. Nevertheless, formal attention to mental health is lacking in most tuberculosis control programs.
Drug-Resistant TB
The Drug Resistant Tuberculosis working group goal is to gather and share information to help accelerate scale-up of evidence-based DR-TB policy and practice.
The working group surveys members at regular intervals to get a good picture of how MDR-TB treatment rollout is progressing in the various regions. In addition, the group has recently been focusing on the availability of susceptibility testing for the new and repurposed second-ling drugs. In addition, the group in collaboration with RESIST-TB, provides webinars and a newsletter focusing on new developments and publications on DR-TB.
Recent Drug-Resistant TB group achievements:
An article describing the results of our most recent survey “Global availability of susceptibility testing for second-line anti-tuberculosis agents” is in press in the IJTLD. Plans to link with rGLC through webinars, compilation of Key PMDTs related materials and dissemination
TB and Ethics
The TB and Ethics working group aims to encourage broader engagement with ethical issues in tuberculosis research and practice. The group promotes reflective and practical consideration of ethical issues within the TB community, particularly through Union conferences, development of educational case studies and other materials and peer-reviewed publication.
TB Education and Training
This working group aimed to enhance capacity for TB education and training and to improve quality of and access to TB education and training resources.
TB Multimorbidity
This working group has its own webpage here
TB Undernutrition
The TB Undernutrition webpage is here
TB in Prisons
The TB in Prisons webpage is here
Gender Equity in TB
The Gender Equity in TB webpage is here
Tobacco Control Working Group:
MPOWER Research on Tobacco Control
The MPOWER Research Group has it's own page here
Adult and Child Lung Health working groups:
Post TB Lung Disorders
The Post Tuberculosis Lung Disorders Working Group conducts research, investigates strategies and raises awareness amongst healthcare workers and policy makers on post TB lung health.
Maternal and Child Tuberculosis
The Maternal and Child TB group has it's own page here
Chronic Respiratory Diseases
The CRD group page is here
Childhood Pneumonia
The Childhood Pneumonia group page is here
Child Malnutrition and TB
The Child Malnutrition and TB group page is here