Forging Strategic Partnerships for a New Era in Tuberculosis Control: China–Gates TB Project Workshop Successfully Convenes in Beijing

To facilitate the successful initation and implementation of the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control/China CDC–Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Cooperation Project (hereinafter referred to as the “China–Gates TB Project”), the National Center for Tuberculosis Control and Prevention of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) convened a project workshop in Beijing on April 8, 2025. The workshop gathered over 50 participants, including officials and expert representatives from the Division of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the provincial/municipal CDCs of Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Hubei, as well as the Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences and other relevant organizations.

 

The meeting was chaired by Zhao Yanlin, Director of the National Center for Tuberculosis Control and Prevention, China CDC. Opening remarks were delivered by Lei Zhenglong, Director-General of the Division of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control of the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control; Yogapragasen Pillay, Director of the TB and HIV Program at the Gates Foundation Headquarters; and Yan Jun, Deputy Director of China CDC. In his address, Director-General Lei commended the achievements of the China–Gates TB Project since its launch in 2009, acknowledging its significant contributions to China’s tuberculosis prevention and control efforts. He outlined the priorities for the current phase of the project, which align with the National Tuberculosis Control Plan (2024–2030), emphasizing key areas such as the development of new technologies and strategies, policy translation, and resource integration. Director Pillay praised the progress achieved through previous collaborations with China and reaffirmed the Gates Foundation’s commitment to continued joint efforts in exploring innovation strategies and models for TB control, aiming to contribute to global TB response initiatives. Deputy Director Yan expressed gratitude to the Gates Foundation for its support of China CDC’s work in TB prevention and control. He underscored that the project office and implementing agencies should base their efforts on scientifically sound designs and precise baseline assessments, promote flexible “one province, one policy” implementation plans, and establish dynamic optimization mechanisms to ensure high-quality execution of the project. Following the opening session, Researcher Huang Fei from the National Center for Tuberculosis Control and Prevention provided an overview of the project and its research framework. Chinese and international experts engaged in detailed discussions regarding the optimizing of the implementation plan and the establishment of a robust data management system, thereby lying a solid foundation for refining the research design and ensuring smooth execution of the project.

 

The successful organization of the workshop in Beijing signified the transition of the China–Gates TB Project from the planning stage to the implementation phase. The outcomes of the meeting offered systematic approaches for the effective deployment of the project's new phase and will facilitate the implementation of national strategies aimd at ending the TB epidemic.