News/Blog

Communities Lead the Way at UNION World Conference on Lung Health 2025

The Union World Conference on Lung Health 2025 brought together more than 4,000 participants from over 100 countries at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. This global event reaffirmed the indispensable role of TB-affected communities and civil society in shaping health responses and accelerating progress toward ending TB.

Community Leadership in Action

Throughout the week, community leaders and advocates drove discussions on stigma reduction, mental health, gender equity, and sustainable funding. Among the prominent voices:

  • Olya Klymenko (TBpeopleUkraine, TBPeople) led panels on community-based TB screening and global funding accountability.

  • Aman Shukla (Younite Global) energized sessions on advocacy for nutrition in pediatric TB care and campaign development.

  • Oxana Rucsineanu (Societatea Moldovei împotriva Tuberculozei – SMIT) championed safe spaces for sharing TB experiences and community engagement in TB trials.

  • James Malar and Lucica Ditiu (Stop TB Partnership) emphasized strategic funding and civil society empowerment.

  • Rhea Lobo (Stop TB Partnership Community Delegation) inspired advocacy dialogues and storytelling initiatives.

Celebrating Community Champions

A major highlight was the Stop TB Partnership Community Award Ceremony, attended by Her Excellency Dr. Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, First Lady of Lagos State, and #1 New York Times bestselling author John Green.

The award honored Ani Herna Sari, Chairperson of TB People Indonesia, and Mrs. Deborah Ikeh, Executive Director of Debriche Health Development Centre (Nigeria), for their outstanding contributions to advocacy and leadership.

This year’s award theme, “Keeping the Lights On and Providing Critical TB Services to People with TB,” recognized extraordinary resilience in maintaining essential TB services despite global challenges. In its sixth year, the award attracted 75 submissions from community and survivor-led groups across high TB-burden countries, with a total prize amount of USD 55,000.

Art and Symbolism

The conference featured powerful artistic expressions amplifying community voices:

  • “Empty Space” – a symbolic installation visualizing the absence of communities in decision-making.

  • Children’s drawings – “How TB Looks Through the Eyes of a Child”, offering a poignant perspective on TB’s impact.

  • “Shared Visions” – an art exhibition by Paulina Siniatkina (TBPeople) blending creativity and activism to inspire change.

Key Themes and Takeaways

Sessions explored stigma reduction, mental health, gender equity, and sustainable funding. Panels addressed global political and financial shifts, while workshops strengthened community roles in research and policy-making. Creative engagements, including films and storytelling, reinforced the message: “Nothing about us without us.”

The UNION conference reaffirmed that communities are not just participants—they are architects of solutions to end TB.