Young, Menendez Introduce the End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2021
Statement
U.S Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) today introduced the End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2021, comprehensive legislation to bolster U.S. efforts to combat the global TB pandemic.
The bipartisan legislation, which for the first time addresses the major impact COVID-19 has had on global TB control efforts, directs the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to boost its bilateral tuberculosis programs and activities to account for new goals established by the international community. In 2018, the United Nations High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) set a new target of successfully treating 40 million people with Tuberculosis by 2022, including 3.5 million children. TB is now ranked as the second worst infectious killer in the world after COVID-19, with the World Health Organization estimating 1.9 million tuberculosis deaths in 2020 alone, underscoring the need to take urgent action.
"Tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable, treatable, and curable disease. More than 25 years after it was declared a public health emergency, TB still remains the second most deadly infectious health threat next to COVID-19, and goes undiagnosed in many countries," said Senator Young. "We must demonstrate U.S. leadership by passing our End Tuberculosis Now Act to find and treat TB, reduce the stigma, and better target this curable disease."
"I am proud to introduce the End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2021 to overhaul the United States' response to the global tuberculosis pandemic to ensure this deadly and entirely preventable disease is placed at the forefront of our global health priorities," said Senator Menendez. "As we begin to grasp the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic's widening of gaps in global health equity, the spread of tuberculosis has intensified among vulnerable populations, with approximately one fourth of the world currently affected. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the coming months to secure passage of this critical legislation and to recommit the United States as a leader in the global fight to end the tuberculosis pandemic through improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment."
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