§ 2151b-3. Assistance to combat tuberculosis
(a)
Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
(1)
Congress recognizes the growing international problem of tuberculosis and the impact its continued existence has on those countries that had previously largely controlled the disease.
(2)
Congress further recognizes that the means exist to control and treat tuberculosis through expanded use of the DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Short-course) treatment strategy, including DOTS-Plus to address multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, and adequate investment in newly created mechanisms to increase access to treatment, including the Global Tuberculosis Drug Facility established in 2001 pursuant to the Amsterdam Declaration to Stop TB and the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development.
(b)
Policy
It is a major objective of the foreign assistance program of the United States to control tuberculosis. In all countries in which the Government of the United States has established development programs, particularly in countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis and other countries with high rates of tuberculosis, the United States should support the objectives of the Global Plan to Stop TB, including through achievement of the following goals:
(2)
Sustain or exceed the detection of at least 70 percent of sputum smear-positive cases of tuberculosis and the successful treatment of at least 85 percent of the cases detected in countries with established United States Agency for International Development tuberculosis programs.
(3)
In support of the Global Plan to Stop TB, the President shall establish a comprehensive, 5-year United States strategy to expand and improve United States efforts to combat tuberculosis globally, including a plan to support—
(d)
Coordination
In carrying out this section, the President shall coordinate with the World Health Organization, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and other organizations with respect to the development and implementation of a comprehensive tuberculosis control program.
(e)
Priority to Stop TB Strategy
In furnishing assistance under subsection (c), the President shall give priority to—
(1)
direct services described in the Stop TB Strategy, including expansion and enhancement of Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) coverage, rapid testing, treatment for individuals infected with both tuberculosis and HIV, and treatment for individuals with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR–TB), strengthening of health systems, use of the International Standards for Tuberculosis Care by all providers, empowering individuals with tuberculosis, and enabling and promoting research to develop new diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines, and program-based operational research relating to tuberculosis; and
(f)
Assistance for the World Health Organization and the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership
In carrying out this section, the President, acting through the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, is authorized to provide increased resources to the World Health Organization and the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership to improve the capacity of countries with high rates of tuberculosis and other affected countries to implement the Stop TB Strategy and specific strategies related to addressing multiple drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR–TB) and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR–TB).
(g)
Annual report
The President shall submit an annual report to Congress that describes the impact of United States foreign assistance on efforts to control tuberculosis, including—
(1)
the number of tuberculosis cases diagnosed and the number of cases cured in countries receiving United States bilateral foreign assistance for tuberculosis control purposes;
(2)
a description of activities supported with United States tuberculosis resources in each country, including a description of how those activities specifically contribute to increasing the number of people diagnosed and treated for tuberculosis;
(3)
in each country receiving bilateral United States foreign assistance for tuberculosis control purposes, the percentage provided for direct tuberculosis services in countries receiving United States bilateral foreign assistance for tuberculosis control purposes;
(4)
a description of research efforts and clinical trials to develop new tools to combat tuberculosis, including diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines supported by United States bilateral assistance;
(5)
the number of persons who have been diagnosed and started treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in countries receiving United States bilateral foreign assistance for tuberculosis control programs;
(6)
a description of the collaboration and coordination of United States anti-tuberculosis efforts with the World Health Organization, the Global Fund, and other major public and private entities within the Stop TB Strategy;
(h)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
DOTS
The term “DOTS” or “Directly Observed Treatment Short-course” means the World Health Organization-recommended strategy for treating tuberculosis including—
(2)
DOTS-Plus
The term “DOTS-Plus” means a comprehensive tuberculosis management strategy that is built upon and works as a supplement to the standard DOTS strategy, and which takes into account specific issues (such as use of second line anti-tuberculosis drugs) that need to be addressed in areas where there is high prevalence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.
(3)
Global Alliance for Tuberculosis Drug Development
The term “Global Alliance for Tuberculosis Drug Development” means the public-private partnership that brings together leaders in health, science, philanthropy, and private industry to devise new approaches to tuberculosis and to ensure that new medications are available and affordable in high tuberculosis burden countries and other affected countries.
(4)
Global Tuberculosis Drug Facility
The term “Global Tuberculosis Drug Facility (GDF)” means the new initiative of the Stop Tuberculosis Partnership to increase access to high-quality tuberculosis drugs to facilitate DOTS expansion.
(5)
Stop TB Strategy
The term “Stop TB Strategy” means the 6-point strategy to reduce tuberculosis developed by the World Health Organization, which is described in the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006–2015: Actions for Life, a comprehensive plan developed by the Stop TB Partnership that sets out the actions necessary to achieve the millennium development goal of cutting tuberculosis deaths and disease burden in half by 2015.
(6)
Stop Tuberculosis Partnership
The term “Stop Tuberculosis Partnership” means the partnership of the World Health Organization, donors including the United States, high tuberculosis burden countries, multilateral agencies, and nongovernmental and technical agencies committed to short- and long-term measures required to control and eventually eliminate tuberculosis as a public health problem in the world.