BALTIC TUBERCULOSIS SYMPOSIUMS

Acknowledging the need for strengthening cooperation between three Baltic countries to exchange experiences and establish common approaches in tuberculosis (TB) control in Baltics, as well as to advocate for TB priority areas in countries, the first TB symposium was organized in 2016; Since then Baltic TB symposiums in Riga have become highly anticipated events, each year connecting over 75 participants and high-level field experts - TB clinicians, nurses, public health, social service, NGO and patient representatives, as well as the policy-makers. 

3rd Baltic TB Symposium, November 23-24, 2018

"Strengthening the people-centered model of tuberculosis care for better diagnosis and treatment outcomes" 

The third Baltic States Symposium was devoted to the people-centered model of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) care for achieving better treatment outcomes. The main objective of the Symposium was to develop a common memorandum of understanding on how to achieve a best-adapted model of care in all three Baltic countries and a list of the most effective activities to achieve this goal. The program included digital health solutions for treatment adherence and TB patient empowerment, nursing process - patient education, psycho-emotional support, stigma reduction, upcoming WHO guidelines on the management of DR-TB as well as latent TB infection diagnostic and treatment and molecular methods for TB diagnostic.

Agenda / Memorandum of understanding / Flashback video

2nd Baltic TB symposium,  May 19-20, 2017

"TB/HIV co-infected patients: challenges and opportunities to End TB Strategy"

2nd Baltic States symposium was organized jointly for TB and HIV specialists to introduce with latest developments in the management of TB/HIV co-infected patients and prepare a country-specific list of priority actions for adaptation of these developments in Baltic countries.  The outline of the symposium included latent TB infection diagnostics and treatment experiences in European countries for HIV- infected persons, including children, integrated care for TB/HIV affected persons, the role of pharmacovigilance, and country updates in the introduction of new anti TB drugs.

Agenda 

1st Baltic TB symposium, May 23-24, 2016

"Introduction of new and repurposed drugs in the programmatic management of DR-TB – from science to practice" 

1st Baltic States symposium was a major step towards scaling up common strategies in the Baltic States in safe, rational, and effective use of TB  novel drugs, as well as applying new practices and approaches in the framework of programmatic management of DR-TB. Objectives of the symposium were to provide an update on current evidence and WHO policy recommendations on the use of new and re-purposed drugs; to discuss the programmatic introduction and future positioning of new drugs – TB patient triage concept, future regimen design, treatment duration; to share experiences and practices from countries using new and re-purposed drugs for adults and children and to decide on common strategies in Baltic states on future improvements of M/XDR-TB management.

Agenda / Flashback video