Assembly/AU/4(XI) Page 11 • Scale up the linkage of TB/HIV country programme activities • Strengthen Health Systems Components that affect TB Control The following recommendations are made: i. All countries to periodically review their TB Control performance with regard to the WHA, MDG and Abuja targets and develop strategies to accelerate their attainment ii. Member states to decentralize and strengthen TB laboratory services in the public and private sectors in order to improve case detection and ensure quality assured laboratory services in pursuit of Universal Access to such services. iii. The African Union to advocate to national governments in the 10 countries without local capability for TB culture and drug susceptibility testing for first line anti-TB drugs to establish this capacity in order to facilitate diagnosis and treatment of MDR-TB cases iv. National TB Control Programmes to prioritize implementation of strategies to expand DOTS diagnosis and treatment services with a view to rapidly move towards the WHA, MDG, Abuja and Regional Committee targets for treatment success and case detection. This includes strengthening the capacity of the Health Systems to suspect and diagnose Tuberculosis, and to reduce treatment failures, treatment defaulters and transfer outs. v. All countries with generalized HIV epidemic (5% or higher) in the general population to programme and implement in full the Regional Strategy for controlling TB-HIV with particular emphasis on universal access to HIV testing for TB patients, ART for eligible HIV positive patients and other interventions to reduce the burden of TB on People Living with HIV & AIDS, and reduce the burden of HIV &AIDS on dually infected TB patients. vi. Member states to allocate sufficient resources to ensure uninterrupted supply of first line anti-TB drugs at central and peripheral levels, including adequate buffer stocks at the various levels. vii. For drug resistant TB cases, national programmes to determine the burden of MDR-TB and initiate treatment programmes for all confirmed cases. National programmes should also mobilize sufficient quality assured second line drugs including concessionary priced drugs through the Stop TB Partnership Green Light Committee viii. Member States to respect the pledge to allocate at least 15% of the national budget to health development and allocate a sufficient amount of that for delivery