Clearing old papers and books recently I came across this 2010 Report on Tuberculosis Research Funding Trends 2005-2009, by Treatment Action Group (TAG) and it brought back memories, mostly happy some also sad. I had only started my global TB advocacy in 2007 when elected to the DOTS Expansion Working Group (DEWG) as a community representative. 2 years later I was elected to be on the STBP Coordinating Board and attended my first CB meeting in 2010 five months later at the next board Meeting I was unanimously elected as the Vice Chair of the Coordinating Board, the first ever community or civil society representative to be elected as the Vice Chair. Phew! Everything was happening so fast. One of my 1st tasks as VC was to be part of aselection committee to appoint the secretary/ executive director of the STBP. The selection committee so far had only consisted of Chair STBP Board and WHO TB Director. Susan Bacheller (USAID) was at that CB meeting in South Africa. She pushed for me to be on the selection committee. A bit strange as perhaps people wondered what a person representing the affected community from global south that too a woman, could contribute to such a high-level panel. When WHO raised the issue that funding may be an issue, Susan would not have it and said USAID would pick up the costs as it was crucial a community representative and VC be part of the selection of the next secretary of STBP. And it was agreed. Being on the selection committee involved interviewing candidates, all of them, older, wiser, much more experienced in TB than me. What I had on myside was the lived experience of TB, couple of decades of working with communities from the remotest villages in India to internally displaced camps in Sudan, and other parts of Africa and Asia. We selected Dr. Lucica Ditiu, team lead TB Reach as the next secretary of STBP, the rest as you say is history! That was perhaps Susan’s last official decision, as sadly she passed away only a couple of days after that board meeting. Susan's commitment to ensuring that people affected by TB are at the decision-making table, driving the agenda and leading the response as valuable partners will remain a major step in ending TB. TAG ED my guru Mark Harrington suggested 2010 Report on TB Research Funding Trends 2005-2009 be dedicated to Susan. I finished my term in 2014 and was part of some of the biggest decisions ever made in the history of STBP. I will always be grateful to the guidance I received from colleagues. It was a great learning experience, stretched to the limits at times but we worked with passion to EndTB and brought STBP to a place where it will continue to remain relevant, reflect the true essence of partnership and keep the people affected at the core of all the decisions. It taught me a lot about the ecosystem of Global Health, Politics and Money. For those of who represent and advocate never stop raising the voice and never stop being on the side of those affected.
