Health ministers from countries with the greatest burdens of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) have agreed to a series of actions to accelerate efforts to halt and reverse the global epidemic of the disease.

Global leaders, including WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan and Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Mr Bill Gates were joined by the Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China, Mr Li Keqiang, and Ministers and high level representatives of 27 countries**, at a three day meeting organised by the World Health Organization. The governments present issued a Call for Action at the conclusion of the opening day of the meeting.

The Call for Action, which was supported by senior representatives from international health and aid agencies and non-governmental organizations, asserts that all countries would move :

- towards universal access to M/XDR-TB diagnosis and treatment by 2015;
- to ensure removal of financial barriers to TB care;
- to ensure development of a comprehensive M/XDR-TB management and care framework;
- to ensure sufficient staff are trained and deployed;
- to strengthen laboratory systems;
- to ensure collaboration with all partners;
- to ensure development and implementation of airborne infection control policies;
- to ensure a sufficient supply of high-quality anti-TB drugs;
- strengthen mechanisms to ensure availability of TB medicines is regulated;
- ensure advocacy and communication and social mobilization are included in policies and plans;
- develop the new tools needed to combat M/XDR-TB…