The Lancet Public Health paper discusses how to improve financial protection for people suffering from tuberculosis through a social benefits package drawing from the discussions of the UN High-level meeting on tuberculosis last year, to ensure tangible results.
This paper discusses the importance of social protection for people with tuberculosis (TB) and their households. The UN High-Level Meeting on tuberculosis pledged to ensure all people with TB have access to social benefits, but there is no clear plan for how this will be achieved. Social protection can help people afford TB treatment and prevent them from falling into poverty. The authors propose a framework for achieving universal social protection for TB-affected households, which includes streamlining research efforts, addressing social determinants of TB, and fostering multilateral cooperation. They also call for increased investment in social protection, as it can be cost-effective in the long run.