ABOUT ENDING WORKPLACE TB
Workplaces are the ideal location for the spread of airborne, infectious diseases. Research suggests that, in some regions, up to fifty per cent of COVID-19 cases originated in the workplace. In addition, workplaces are closely associated with spread of common colds, influenza, and tuberculosis (TB).
The impact of these diseases on workers, workplaces, and wider society is profound. COVID has killed 6.4m since the start of the pandemic. TB kills 1.5 million people a year. Influenza could claim more than half a million lives a year in a year with a particularly severe strain.
The huge mortality, and associated morbidity, has a major economic cost. It has been estimated that TB will cost the global economy USD$1 trillion between 2015 and 2030. The costs of COVID-19 have already been much higher, disrupting almost every aspect of economic life and in some cases bringing business operations to a complete standstill.
Ending Workplace TB (EWTB) was launched in Davos 2020, when most people hadn't heard of SARS-COV-2. In the period since, we have learned that the measures needed to prevent prevent TB in the workplace are the same that companies were implementing in high-income countries to tackle COVID-19. That's why today, EWTB focuses on supporting companies to build stronger workplace health systems to tackle all respiratory diseases.
Download the overview of our 2022 work by clicking on the image above.
OUR WORK
EWTB currently operates two pillars of work, they are:
ASSESSING RISK - We are working to develop a toolkit that companies can use to assess the likelihood of a respiratory pathogen spreading in a given workplace. The toolkit will highlight specific areas that companies can look at strengthening to keep their employees safer.
ADDRESSING RISK - We host Community of Practice calls every month where leading experts from our members share what they are doing to keep their people safe. We will publish a 'best practice' guide every six months, starting from April 2023, highlighting the key learnings from these sessions.
If you want to know more about either of these workstreams, contact us on partners@ewtb.org.
OUR ETHOS
EWTB believes that there is a wealth of skills and expertise in private sector companies that could be deployed to tackle global health challenges. Our ethos is to work with each company one-on-one to find the activities and insights that will bring them most value as a member of EWTB, and to discover how they can have the maximum impact possible on the fight against TB and other respiratory infections.
THE
TEAM
Ending Workplace TB's day-to-day operations are supported by a small secretariat with the help of a larger group of advisers and experts from our core group of founding partners. You can contact the secretariat through partners@ewtb.org or through the form below.
Peter Sands
Executive Director the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria
"Ending TB requires a cross-sector and cross-industry effort. Business can take the lead to provide the right diagnostic and treatment services to their staff and encourage their suppliers to do the same. Doing this will not only support people and their families but reduce the negative economic impact of the disease.”
JOIN US
If you're interested in becoming a member of EWTB, contact us through the form below