Zambia-based CITAM+, a Community Initiative for TB, HIV/AIDS & Malaria, Joins ACTION Partnership
ACTION is excited to announce that Zambia-based Community Initiative for TB, HIV/AIDS & Malaria (CITAM+) has joined the ACTION partnership. With the addition of CITAM+, ACTION now consists of nine advocacy organizations based around the world that are dedicated to empowering ordinary people to become sophisticated advocates who profoundly affect their country’s political process in order to improve health and save lives.
Executive Director of CITAM+ Carol Nyirenda is a leading international advocate and media spokesperson who has played an important role in advancing policies and increasing funding for TB and health programming in her home country of Zambia, on the African continent, and globally.
As a survivor of TB-HIV co-infection, Carol has tremendous knowledge of the critical needs and challenges faced by low- and middle-income populations. Carol’s commitment and knowledge have propelled her into leadership positions on many national and international bodies, to help drive innovative solutions to address health challenges, and to give affected communities a voice and representation in the larger health community. She has represented affected communities on the boards of UNITAID, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and the International Union Against Lung Disease and Tuberculosis.
At the country-level, Carol sits on the Board of the Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign (TALC), and is a founding member of both the Coalition of “Zambian Women Living” and “Act Up Lusaka”. She also represents TB constituency on the Global Fund Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM). Through these positions she spearheads national and international advocacy efforts around TB-HIV, one of which resulted in the Zambian government’s ultimate decision to implement WHO recommendations for collaborative TB-HIV activities.
Carol worked to establish CITAM+ in 2005, which develops sustainable TB-HIV support groups in and around Lusaka. Through this organization, Carol was instrumental in developing a comprehensive TB-HIV plan, which included community outreach and policy analysis to help ensure HIV groups incorporate TB counseling and services into their programming, and become educated about the growing co-infection epidemic in Zambia. CITAM+ currently holds a seat on the TB/HIV Joint Collaborative Body hosted by the Zambian Ministry of Health.
With the addition of CITAM+, ACTION continues to expand its global reach and improve its ability to fight TB and other global health issues.
Posted 3 months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 8 hours, 59 minutes ago
