We the African TB affected communities and Civil Society Organizations recognize and appreciate the commendable efforts of the Stop TB Partnership's Board and all its members in ensuring an open and transparent governance system in the Organization.

We recognize the dedicated leadership of the current Executive Director, Dr. Lucica Ditiu, and applaud her immeasurable efforts in the development of the organization. Her continuous support in ensuring investments in community systems strengthening, promotion of human rights and gender equality has resulted in strides to the TB response development at national, regional, and global levels for the past decade.

Having worked with Dr. Ditiu, we are deeply concerned about the contents of an article published by the New York Times about her leadership at the Stop TB Partnership secretariat. (Reference: NYT-A Global Health Star under Fire By Apoorva Mandavilli. September 12, 2020). Our experience of Dr. Ditiu has been that of a respectable and passionate leader, someone who has brought commitment, and an unshakable spirit of partnership that is rare in the TB response.

We highly denounce and condemn any form of discrimination or violence on anyone especially employees based on their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or otherwise. We are very conscious of efforts that may reverse the gains we have made so far in the TB response.

We, therefore, call to action and support an Independent Review commissioned by the Board on these allegations. We also recognize the statement released by the Board on the 15th September 2020 quoted "We are continuously learning and building an organization driven by principles and values expected by our Board, donors, partners, and stakeholders and, most importantly, the countries, communities, and people affected by TB that we serve.”

We further request the board to put into consideration the following:

1. Conduct a thorough and independent review of the matter and ensure the active engagement of all concerned parties on what transpired and how it got to this point.

2. Our views as TB affected communities and Civil society working on ending stigma, barriers to treatment access, community rights & Gender, financing, social protection, and other areas with Stop TB Partnership should be sought and included in the review.

3. Based on the roles and responsibilities of the UNOPS as the host for the Stop TB partnership, we hope to see UNOPS showing leadership as a UN agency and ensuring that UN Policies and procedures governing such incidents and accountability are observed.

We confidently believe that there is still room to address these case(s) and have all issues resolved amicably through exploring systems and procedures that support diversity for the benefit of the organization.

In conclusion, we remain committed to supporting the development of the TB response. We will not tolerate any unfounded efforts that stand to destroy the reputation of organizations that improve the rights of TB affected communities and reverse achievements made in the past years.

List of Africa CSOs

1. African Coalition on TB, Pan Africa

2. TBPeople, Global

3. TBWomen, Global

4. Africa Coalition on TB Nigeria, Nigeria

5. Nigeria TB Community Forum, Nigeria

6. TB People Nigeria, Nigeria,

7. Afro Global Alliance, Ghana

8. Eastern Africa National Networks of AIDS and Health Service Organizations, Tanzania (EANNASO)

9. Tanzania TB Community Network, Regional

10. Stop TB Partnership Kenya, Kenya

11. CITAM+, Zambia

12. Top Health Advocacy in the Tropics, Uganda

13. Association, of Mozambican Mineworkers, Mozambique

14. Pan African Positive Women’s Coalition, Zimbabwe

15. Eswatini Coalition on TB (African Coalition on TB – Eswatini), Eswatini

16. Positive women together in Action, Eswatini

17. South African National Tuberculosis and AIDS Association, South Africa

18. Agang Health and Community Development, South Africa

19. Stop TB Partnership Ghana, Ghana

20. Southern Africa Miners Association, Regional

21. Swaziland Migrants Mineworkers Associations, Eswatini

22. Pamoja TB Group, Kenya

23. Afro Global Alliance Nigeria

24. Ambassadeur de lute Contre La Tuberculosis, DRC

25. Club des Amis Damien, DRC

26. Service, Health and Development for People Living with HIV/AIDS, Tanzania

27. Volunteer Health Services, Ethiopia

28. Ethiopian TB Association, Ethiopia

29. Amba TB, Ethiopia

30. Efoteta TB, Ethiopia,

31. Mask Ethiopia, Ethiopia

32. Abedi Boru TB, Ethiopia

33. PLAN Health Advocacy and Development Foundation, Nigeria

34. Ghana TB Voices Network, Ghana

35. Sustainable Communication Response for TB (SCORE4TB)

36. Good Health Educators, Nigeria

37. Janna Health Foundation, Nigeria

38. SUFABEL Community Development Initiative, Nigeria

39. Stop TB Partnership DRC, DRC

40. Network of TB Champions, Kenya

41. Africa Coalition on TB Zambia, Zambia

42. Botswana Mine Workers Union, Botswana

43. Ghana Coalition of NGO’s in Health GA, Ghana

44. Hope Care Foundation, Ghana

45. Concern Health, Ghana

46. Jointed Hands, Zimbabwe

47. Kenya AIDS Consortium, Kenya

48. CISMAT, Sierra Leone

49. International Center for Human Rights, Advocacy and Gender Empowerment Ghana, Ghana

50. Makueni NGO’s Network, Kenya

51. Makueni Community based Organizations Consortium, Kenya

52. Facilitators of community Transformation, Malawi

53. Zimbabwe Women living with HIV National Forum, Zimbabwe

54. Advocacy Core Team, Zimbabwe

55. Center for Development Journalism and Advocacy, Malawi

56. Pan African Treatment Access Movement, Zimbabwe (PATAM)

57. HREP, Malawi

58. Debriche Health Development Center, Nigeria

59. Dynamique de la response d”Afrique Francophone sur la TB, Cameroon (DRAF TB)

60. For Impacts in Social Health, Cameroon

61. TB Core Group Cameroon, Cameroon

62. Coalition of Women living with HIV and AIDS, Malawi

63. Coalition of Zambian Women living with HIV and AIDS, Zambia

64. Disabled Women in Africa, Malawi

65. Swaziland Migrant Mineworkers Association, Eswatini

66. Mzilikazi Former Mine Workers Association, Namibia

67. Ex-Miners Association in Malawi (EMAM), Malawi

68. Botswana Labour Migrants Association, Botswana

69. Development Aid from People to People, Malawi

70. VAN Foundation Ghana