Regional meeting in Peru convened by PeerLINC, a global peer-to-peer initiative, brings together 20 countries to accelerate collaboration and scale-up
Lima, Peru—PeerLINC, a global peer-to-peer knowledge hub for TB, has successfully completed a regional training session for 20 countries spanning North, Central, and South America to support the rapid and effective implementation of World Health Organization-recommended treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), including the six-month, all-oral BPaL and BPaLM (BPaL/M) regimens.
Hosted in Lima, the training was conducted in close partnership with the Ministry of Health of Peru, a PeerLINC program alum and a regional leader in DR-TB care. Approximately 200 clinicians and health officials participated in the training. Representatives from Argentina, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru attended in person. Additionally, participants joined virtually from the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Suriname. Interactive sessions were led by PeerLINC staff, members of the Peruvian Ministry of Health, regional experts, and experts from TB Alliance.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see Peru not only successfully implementing the BPaL/M regimens, but now step into a leadership role to help guide other countries,” said Dr. Eden Mendoza-Hisey, Head of PeerLINC. “This is exactly what PeerLINC was designed to do – build lasting capacity that can multiply impact, as participating countries not only advance the health and wellbeing of their own populations but share their experiences to benefit others around the world.”
Participating countries received intensive guidance on national implementation planning, clinical and programmatic best practices, and community engagement strategies. The training incorporated inclusive, people-centered approaches, with attention to equitable access and responsiveness to the diverse needs of patients and health systems across the region. The program was designed to help accelerate widespread implementation of WHO-recommended DR-TB treatments, such as BPaL/M, which are shorter, safer, more effective, and more affordable than traditional DR-TB treatment options.
“PeerLINC has proven to be incredibly effective and efficient in assisting countries around the world to scale access to new TB treatments. It’s gratifying to see our vision of rapidly scaling access to BPaL/M come to life through the model of countries helping each other,” said Sandeep Juneja, Senior Vice President of Market Access at TB Alliance. “While this unique meeting is a key milestone, its real value lies in the continued peer-to-peer exchange of best practices and on-the-ground experience. The relationships and networks built here will fuel ongoing collaboration and help strengthen national programs and patient care well beyond this week.”
Dr. Valentina Alarcón, Executive Director of Tuberculosis Prevention and Control at the Ministry of Health emphasized the importance of Peru’s leadership role in the initiative, and said, “Our experience in implementing shorter DR-TB treatments, like BPaL/M, has shown us what’s possible when science, political will, and dedicated partners come together. Peru was proud to host this training and looks forward to sharing our lessons learned and working with our neighbors to achieve the same success.”
PeerLINC and TB Alliance will continue to provide follow-up technical support and foster cross-country collaboration to ensure that each participating nation can advance their DR-TB treatment strategies swiftly and sustainably.
About PeerLINC
Launched by TB Alliance in March of 2024, in partnership with Tropical Disease Foundation Inc., and Department of Health – Philippines, and funded by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, PeerLINC provides practical training and technical support to help speed programmatic implementation of innovative, effective tuberculosis treatments globally. PeerLINC follows a peer-to-peer model for sharing of best practices, experiences, tools, and materials by connecting experts from early adopter countries, with other countries interested in implementing the latest TB treatments to help accelerate widespread access to improved TB cures.
Testimonials from participants: PeerLINC Regional Training hosted in Peru, June 2 -6, 2025
- “The training improves the skills of health personnel, as well as has a positive impact on the quality of care and public health outcomes. Therefore, investing in this type of course is investing in the effective control of tuberculosis.” – Dr. Claudia Maria Alvarez Serna, Ccoordinator of Epidemiological Surveillance, Secretary of Health, Medellin, Colombia
- “It was very good because due importance was given to this neglected pathology from many countries.” – Amado Oscar Laime Rios, Health Worker, National TB Control Program, Bolivia
- “The PNCT technical team and some doctors who provide TB care in my country participated in this workshop. With the knowledge acquired, we will be able to improve the care of DR-TB patients and update the TB strategic plan to influence TB policies.” – Myrian Román, National DR-TB Coordinator, National TB Program, Paraguay
- “We have few cases of MDR-TB in our region, and this lack of familiarity with this treatment scheme often makes us doubt the logic of using short regimens. This workshop shows the situation in other countries with high incidences of DR-TB and shows the evidence of the impact on DR-TB control with the use of these schemes.” – Dr. Federico Mairena, Head of TB Control Program, MINSA, SILAIS Las Minas, Nicaragua
- “It was a broad training because it targeted different aspects of TB care.” – Maia Chernomoretz, National TB Program, Department of HIV, Infectious Topical Disease, Hepatitis, and Tuberculosis in the Ministry of Health, Argentina
- “The schemes were very clear to me.” – Leandra Abarca Gomez, Medical Epidemiologist, Costa Rican Social Security Fund, Costa Rica
- “At the end of the second day, I knew in that moment that we, as a country, could implement the adverse effect monitoring in the first healthcare level.” – Jacinto Esteban Bonilla Escobar, TB and Leprosy Analyst, Ministry of Public Health, Ecuador
- “Nowadays people affected by DR-TB have good opportunities to be cured and avoid the sequelae of the disease and toxic drugs, now it is our job as a health professional to bring these opportunities to the ground.” – Lourdes Gutiérrez, National Program Coordinator, Pan-American Health Organization, Guatemala
- “Tuberculosis is not going to stop us! By joining forces, we will subtract cases!” – Irma Graciela Flores Aguilar, State TB Program, Health Services for the State of Querétaro, Mexico