Call: Early diagnosis of tuberculosis

The EU is required by its founding treaty to ensure that human health is protected as part of all its policies, and to work with the EU countries to improve public health, prevent human illness and eliminate sources of danger to physical and mental health.

The 3rd Health Programme has 4 overarching objectives. It seeks to:

1. Promote health, prevent diseases and foster supportive environments for healthy lifestyles taking into account the 'health in all policies' principle,
2. Protect Union citizens from serious cross-border health threats,
3. Contribute to innovative, efficient and sustainable health systems,
4. Facilitate access to better and safer healthcare for Union citizens.

The third EU health programme is the main instrument the European Commission uses to implement the EU health strategy. It is implemented by means of annual work plans which set out priority areas and the criteria for funding actions under the programme. The total budget for the programme is € 449.4 million.

The activities aim at improving early diagnosis, strengthening integration of care, and outreach strategies in the community and in prison settings, and will draw on evidence and best practice from low- and high-incidence countries. They will furthermore strengthen national TB responses by supporting the development and implementation of national strategic plans and guidelines with a particular focus on improving the control of multi-drugresistant (MDR) TB and the implementation of evidence based, state of the art diagnostics and treatment options. The action will facilitate collaboration amongst EU Member States particularly in relation to vulnerable groups including migrants, homeless, prisoners and people who inject drugs with a view to support access to and continuity of care. They will link to activities undertaken by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to address the TB situation in high incidence countries and the work on interventions for tuberculosis prevention and control in hard to reach and vulnerable populations.

Applicants participating in a project proposal have to be different legal entities (i.e.
independent from each other) from at least 3 countries participating in the Health
Programme.

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects is estimated at EUR 9 000 000.

Proposals requesting more than 60% co-funding will need to comply with the criteria for
exceptional utility, specified in the Annex VII of the 2015 work plan.