The Union (International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease)

The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, known as The Union, is a global health organisation working to end suffering caused by tuberculosis and lung disease. It describes itself as the world's first global health organisation, founded in 1920, and states that it is a global leader in ending TB, that it fights the tobacco industry, and that it solves key problems in treating major diseases. Its stated goal is a healthier world for all. The organisation combines scientific research, peer-reviewed publishing, technical guidance, professional training and public advocacy rather than working through any single one of these. It runs country and regional offices, including a Union India Office, alongside its global structure.

Headquarters: Paris, France

Major Areas of Work

• Tuberculosis: research, technical guidance and country support to diagnose, treat and prevent TB, including child and adolescent TB.

• Tobacco control: policy and advocacy work against the tobacco industry, covering fiscal policy, tobacco taxation and emerging nicotine products.

• Lung health and non-communicable respiratory disease: work on COPD, asthma, lung cancer, access to inhaled medicines and equitable access to medical oxygen.

• Scientific publishing and research: a family of peer-reviewed journals and technical literature covering TB, tobacco control and lung health.

• Education and capacity building: courses, open access learning and technical publications aimed at health workers, researchers and programme staff.

• Advocacy, communications and social mobilisation: public campaigns and community-facing tools designed to change health-seeking behaviour.

Major Initiatives and Programmes

• The Union's journals: four peer-reviewed titles, the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IJTLD), IJTLD OPEN, IJTLD CRD and Public Health Action.

• Union Courses Catalogue: an annually published catalogue of training and education courses for health professionals working in TB, tobacco control and lung health.

• Open Access Learning: freely available learning material, allowing health workers to train without cost or institutional access.

• Technical Publications: technical guides on TB, tobacco control and lung health written by expert practitioners.

• Child and Adolescent TB Centre of Excellence: a dedicated centre focused on diagnosing and treating tuberculosis in children and adolescents.

• Union World Conference on Lung Health: the organisation's annual global scientific conference, bringing together the lung health community across tuberculosis, tobacco control, lung disease and integrated care.

The World Conference on Lung Health is the organisation's flagship convening. It sets the annual agenda for the global lung health community through scientific sessions, satellite sessions, late-breaker abstracts and scholarship places for researchers and practitioners from lower-income settings, and it is where much of The Union's research and advocacy work becomes public.

Impact

The Union states that it is the world's first global health organisation, founded in 1920, and positions itself as a global leader in ending TB. It has been certified by NGOsource as equivalent to a U.S. public charity. It is an official member of the Global Oxygen Alliance (GO2AL), a coalition working on safe, affordable and equitable access to medical oxygen, and works alongside the Forum of International Respiratory Societies and the Union for International Cancer Control on lung health and cancer policy. Its Advocacy, Communications and Social Mobilization team has developed a TB-themed virtual escape room, which the organisation reports has shown early impact on health-seeking behaviour.

Leadership

• Cassandra Kelly-Cirino, Executive Director

• Dr Archana Beri, Head of Programme, Union India Office

The Union suits people who want their public health work to carry scientific weight. Its work runs from laboratory and diagnostic systems through to tobacco tax policy and community campaigns, so staff get exposure to the full arc from evidence to national policy, and to a peer-reviewed publishing operation few implementing organisations have. In India, its office works on TB and lung health at a scale where national programmes are the counterpart, which suits clinicians, epidemiologists, laboratory specialists, policy researchers and programme managers who want technical depth rather than generalist development work. Anyone drawn to global collaboration will find the organisation embedded in international alliances and standard-setting bodies.