The role of community advocacy to mobilize political support to Global TB Research and Development in Spain.

Authors
Gabriel Boichat Sancho1, Laia Ruiz Mingote1, Isabel Benlloch Velar1, Joan Tallada Martínez2.

Authors’ Institution
1Planeta Salud - Nuevos Instrumentos para el desarrollo, Barcelona, Spain.
2 Consultant in Global Health, Barcelona, Spain.

Issues
Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV/Aids worldwide. A comprehensive response is needed to decrease the joint burden of TB and HIV in the most affected population. We don’t currently have adequate health tools to face the TB pandemic globally: more effective tools are needed, being Research and Development (R&D) an essential part of international cooperation policies.

Description
An advocacy strategy was implemented to include TB R&D in the agenda of key stakeholders in order to ultimately achieve political and economical support from the Spanish Government (SG) to the R&D of new TB tools. Key audiences were identified: HIV/AIDS and Cooperation for Development NGOs and networks; Members of the SG (health and cooperation); Congress and the Senate (Commissions of International Cooperation for Development and of Health); Media and Researchers.
The first stage focused on raising awareness about the TB pandemic through direct contacts with key leaders: meetings with 40 stakeholders; seminar on R&D for TB; toolkits for politicians and media; official hearings in the Parliament; wide dissemination of information tools on R&D for TB.
The second stage included activities that should show the specific support to TB R&D by key leaders. A Non Binding Proposal has been registered into the Congress; a “Call For Action” has been signed by 26 Spanish NGOs; a second seminar on TB was held with the active participation of SG Senior Policy-Makers and a proposal for funding TB R&D has been submitted to the SG.

Lessons learned

• A detailed plan of actions and activities is needed to mobilize wide, active support leading to political and financial support to TB R&D. 
• Carefully selection of key audiences and what kind of relationship should be established with them is essential.
• Advocacy efforts need a strategic framework where the target (in our case, a public good for global health) has to be incorporated.  
• Active networking is crucial. Political advocacy and lobbying should not be implemented in isolation and require a hard work of collaboration with other NGO’s and opinion leaders.

Next steps
Thanks to this action program, the SG has declared its will to explore ways to support and fund TB R&D. Next target is to obtain a formal commitment from the SG in 2010. To pursue that goal, awareness activities on R&D for TB among Spanish stakeholders aiming at reaching broad community and political support need to be reinforced.

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