The SEARN-TB’s first annual meeting commenced with an official opening ceremony, setting a collaborative and forward-looking tone for the event. Dr. Dereje Duguma, State Minister of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, inaugurated the gathering by underscoring the critical role of regional cooperation, innovation, and resource mobilization in advancing tuberculosis (TB) control efforts across Africa. Reflecting on the network’s achievements over the past year, he emphasized the urgency of addressing persistent challenges such as overreliance on external funding, advocating for enhanced domestic resource allocation, efficient utilization of existing assets, and stronger public-private partnerships. Dr. Dereje also acknowledged the sustained support of the World Health Organization’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO/TDR) to SEARN-TB and broader health initiatives in the region.
Dr. Alemseged Abdissa, the SEARN-TB executive Secretariat, provided an overview of the network’s activities since its inception, highlighting progress and ongoing priorities. National TB programs from participating countries then shared their key challenges, among them are high rates of TB/HIV co-infection, persistent funding gaps, shortages of modern diagnostic tools, fragmented health system integration, medication stockouts, and societal stigma leading to patient loss to follow-up and treatment non-adherence. These discussions underscored the systemic barriers hindering TB elimination efforts.
The historic annual meeting took place from February 17–19, 2025 at the Hilton Hotel in Addis Ababa. The first day concluded with critical updates from the WHO Global TB Programme, covering advancements in preventive therapy (TPT), multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) treatment protocols, and pediatric TB care. Participants also examined the evolving global funding landscape, particularly the implications of geopolitical shifts and economic constraints on TB programs.
The second day of the meeting focused on implementation research (IR) as a catalyst for strengthening TB responses. Sessions included presentations of IR case studies from the SEARN-TB region, such as Madagascar’s research on zoonotic TB and Ethiopia’s Operational Research (OR) initiatives under TRAC Ethiopia. WHO/TDR and partner organizations introduced innovative tools, including the TDA4Child package for pediatric TB care, a social protection toolkit, and digital health solutions. Insights were also shared from national studies on digital tool integration from Ethiopia, Uganda, and Mozambique. Later discussions explored the TB vaccine landscape, featuring strategies for preparing countries for future vaccine rollout, followed by collaborative dialogues on priority actions, challenges, and support needs for successful implementation, this discussion revealed that this could be one of priority areas that the SEARN TB network could focus on for the following years. The day closed with updates on regional laboratory advancements and diagnostics, emphasizing the role of robust health systems in achieving TB targets.
On the third day, the agenda pivoted to strategic planning and sustainability. Participants reviewed the newly proposed strategic framework for the West African Research Network (WARN-CARN) and its implications for SEARN-TB’s priorities. Fruitful discussions were held following the WARN/CARN network presentation, and useful experience was gained. Key sessions focused on identifying capacity-building needs, fundraising opportunities, and advocacy strategies to mitigate the impact of external funding uncertainties, including the recent freeze in U.S. contributions to global health programs. Collaborative work planning for 2025 sought consensus on priority research themes, policy actions, and network governance improvements. Network members, working in groups, proposed several key activities that the network should focus on, which will be further developed and shared back by the secretariat with the network. The last day also saw the selection of new co-chairs for a one-year term from Zimbabwe and Djibouti. The selection of Djibouti is crucial to coordinate and assist the network with Francophone countries. The meeting concluded with reflections and closing remarks from Prof. Afework Kassu, he encouraged all the member countries and partners to be an ambassador their network, he also urged donors and partners to utilize this big network’s reach and potential.
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