MIN/Sp/AU/CAMH3/6 TB Page 2 access to TB prevention, treatment, care and support services, including of key TB-HIV interventions. Despite the progress in tuberculosis control, northern African countries have failed in achieving the global targets for tuberculosis control. While DOTS has expanded, covering 94% of the regional population and treatment success is high (82%), the case detection rate is only 44%. To improve case detection, the regional plan to Stop TB was developed as part of the global plan 2006– 2015. The budgetary need for the period of 2006 to 2015 indicated in the Plan is US$ 3.1 billion in the WHO/EMRO Region. Support to countries was enhanced and partnership development promoted. This Report is prepared at the request of the 2006 Special Summit and the AU Conference of Ministers of Health. It reviews the status towards achievement of the TB targets as specified in the Abuja commitments and the MDGs. Status of TB Control indicators and targets Leadership at National, Regional and Continental Levels The 2006 Abuja Call for Universal Access to ATM services is the most recent indication of the continent’s growing political leadership for TB Control in the Region. It builds on and creates a supportive political environment for the quantitative pursuance of the World Health Assembly, MDG, Abuja 2001, and Maputo 2005 TB control targets. Political leadership has also been demonstrated through declaration of TB as national emergencies by at least 18 countries in the African Region; the adoption of a Regional Strategy to combat the TB/HIV epidemic by the 57th session of the Regional Committee for Africa in 2007 and other related declarations by Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and Health Communities. The stated commitment not withstanding, national financing of health and TB Control programmes remains insufficient. Only two countries have achieved the 2001 pledge to allocate at least 15% of national budgets to the improvement of the health sector. Furthermore, a later call to allocate 34USD per capita for health is yet to be adopted by the majority of countries. Estimated Prevalence, incidence and death rates Estimated TB prevalence, incidence and death rates all continue to increase in most countries. Notification rates have risen from 82 per 100,000 population in 1990 to 160 in 2006. Despite an apparent stabilisation and decline in overall TB globally and in the African Region, at this rate, the MDG targets for TB incidence and prevalence are unlikely to be achieved at regional level. In Eastern Mediterranean Region, incidence rates are higher for Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan than in the other countries in northern Africa. However, according to the 2008 WHO Global TB Report, by the end of 2006, Comoros, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius, Sao Tome & Principe and Seychelles had