Speakers of Day 2 at the 31st PhilCAT Annual Convention gather for a photo opportunity after their respective plenary sessions. Dr. Eden Mendoza-Hisey of PeerLINC, fourth from left, presented on TB and Gender Equity, Diversity, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI).

PeerLINC Knowledge Hub joined global and national TB leaders at the 31st Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT) Annual Convention, held August 14 to 15 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. The convention, themed ‘5 Years to End TB, Today is the Beginning: Innovations, Strategies, Multi-sectoral Participation and Challenges Ahead,’ convened policymakers, clinicians, researchers, civil society partners, and healthcare workers from the public and private sectors to chart collective progress towards ending TB in the Philippines by 2030.

A key focus of the convention was accelerating access to new WHO-recommended regimens for drug-resistant TB (DR-TB). During the plenary, TB Alliance Director of Market Access Ms. Aastha Gupta presented a talk entitled “Cost analysis of BPaLM/ BPaL regimen vs. other regimens: The Africa and Asia Experiences.”

Delegates at the 31st PhilCAT Annual Convention listen to a virtual presentation by Ms. Aastha Gupta, Director of Market Access at TB Alliance, on the cost analysis of the BPaLM/BPaL regimen versus other regimens across Africa and Asia.

Drawing on implementation data from diverse contexts, Ms. Gupta outlined the cost-efficiency and health impact of scaling up shorter, all-oral regimens. “Scaling up shorter DR-TB regimens like BPaL/M delivers both health and economic gains. By reducing treatment time and improving outcomes, countries can reinvest savings into expanding access and strengthening their TB response,” she stressed.

Spotlight: Key Resources on Cost-Effectiveness of BPaL/M

Her analysis underscored how the BPaLM/ BPaL regimen improves survival and quality of life for patients, and strengthens health financing pathways that remain a critical concern for countries with high TB burdens.

PeerLINC Head and GEDSI & Community Engagement Lead Dr. Eden Mendoza-Hisey contributed to the plenary session on integrated service delivery, community rights, and gender towards TB elimination. Her address highlighted how integrating GEDSI principles into national TB response can enhance patient adherence, reduce barriers to care, and build more resilient health systems.

“Integrating gender equity, diversity, and social inclusion into TB programs leads to better patient outcomes and stronger health systems. Our goal is to ensure that every individual, regardless of circumstance, can access effective, compassionate TB care,” she emphasized, reflecting PeerLINC’s broader agenda to complement biomedical advances with social innovations by embedding community voices, equity, and inclusivity in TB interventions.

Dr. Eden Mendoza-Hisey, Head and GEDSI & Community Engagement Lead at PeerLINC, delivers her presentation on “TB and Gender Equity, Diversity, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI)” during the plenary session on Integrated Service Delivery, Community, Rights and Gender at the 31st PhilCAT Annual Convention.

PeerLINC’s engagement at the 31st PhilCAT Annual Convention reinforced its role as a regional hub for knowledge exchange, technical support, and peer-to-peer learning. By connecting evidence from countries scaling up shorter regimens with on-the-ground insights from communities, PeerLINC helps accelerate the adoption of BPaLM/ BPaL and other patient-centered innovations across Asia and beyond.