Emergency Preparedness & Response

For all of history, known and previously unknown infectious diseases, from bubonic plague to COVID-19,  have devasted societies. Other disasters, such as war, earthquakes or extreme weather events, have also had wide-ranging implications for human health, which can go beyond their immediate impact, leading for example to infectious disease outbreaks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent conflicts in Ukraine and Ethiopia, there have been tremendous disruptions of TB services, which called for different approaches to preventive and care services. Unfortunately, new and old diseases, and human conflicts as well as natural disasters, exacerbated by the climate crisis, are unlikely to go away anytime in the immediate future. 

With forethought and investments to prepare for knowns and unknowns, “an ounce of prevention is worth much more than a pound of cure”. Mitigation plans for emergencies and future epidemics/pandemics can reduce human suffering and death due to TB and other respiratory illnesses. 

In regards to this, at KNCV we aim to support countries with such “Plan Bs”, policies and plans along with allocated budgets to safeguard TB services during humanitarian emergencies and/or public health emergencies and/or other crises.