Tuberculosis

Integrated and Innovative Approaches to Preventing and Treating Tuberculosis

TB Day Rally in Dhaka, Bangladesh

In many of the 22 countries that account for more than 80% of TB cases worldwide, URC is supporting anti-TB activities and national TB programs through integrated and innovative approaches that use QI to address systemic barriers to effective prevention and treatment, including patient-centered approaches to ensure patient retention in treatment. URC supports interventions to scale up access to TB diagnostics and laboratories, improve the quality of supervision, and alleviate the human resource crisis by building the capacity of health workers. URC also works to strengthen links between health facilities and laboratory networks.

South Africa TB: Integration and Scale-up

Challenge

URC is assisting the South African government in expanding its National Tuberculosis Strategic Plan. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), this project is designed to help strengthen local capacity to detect, treat, and prevent TB.

URC’s team is guiding provincial health departments as they integrate TB care with HIV and other health care services and develop strategies to identify potential cases and ensure referrals for screening. In addition, URC is supporting community-based approaches to ensure patients adhere to treatment, using a public education strategy to reduce stigma and encourage people with TB symptoms to seek testing. A social mobilization strategy is countering stigma against people affected by TB including a national media campaign aimed at national and political leaders as well as adults and children.

Results

This program builds on a project that worked in five of South Africa’s provinces, reaching 83,311 TB cases, 25% of the national TB burden.
To strengthen TB laboratory quality assurance, link to Strengthening the Quality of Laboratories under approaches below URC developed a supervisory tool in partnership with Kwazulu Natal's National Health Laboratory Service
URC developed training materials on multiple drug-resistant TB standardized recording and reporting tools, and a comprehensive infection control training package emphasizing TB
Nationally, HIV above testing for TB patients increased from 20% in 2006 to 60% in 2008

Current Projects

HIV and AIDS Comprehensive Care Initiative (HACCI)
Funded By: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Project Duration: 2008 to present

Building Human Resource Capacity to Support Prevention, Care, and Treatment: Strategic Information and Other HIV/AIDS Programs
Funded By: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Project Duration: 2008 to present

Better Health Services (BHS)
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2009 to present

Strengthening TB Case Detection and Treatment and TB-HIV Coordinated Activities
Funded By: URC
Project Duration: 2007 to present

Health Promotion and Communication Project (HealthPro)
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to present

South Africa Tuberculosis Program
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2009 to present

Increasing Access to HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC)
Funded By: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Project Duration: 2006 to present

HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis Laboratory Support
Funded By: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Project Duration: 2009 to present

Global Fund Consulting Services
Funded By: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Project Duration: 2007 to present

Translating Research into Action (TRAction)
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2009 to present

Technical Assistance and Support Contract 3: Global Health (TASC3 Global Health)
Funded By: United States Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Bolivia
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2008 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Ethiopia
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Indonesia
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2009 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Global
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Mali
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2009 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Nicaragua
Funded By: United States Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Russia
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | South Africa
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Swaziland
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to present

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Uganda
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to present

Lesotho Health Sector (LHS) Project
Funded By: Millennium Challenge Corporation
Project Duration: 2009 to present

Integrated Infectious Disease Capacity Building Evaluation (IDCAP)
Funded By: Accordia Global Health Foundation
Project Duration: 2008-present

Strengthening Uganda’s Systems for Treating AIDS Nationally (SUSTAIN)
Funded By: USAID
Project Duration: 2010 to present

Developing Strategies in the Central America and Panama Region to Strengthen Reponses to the HIV Epidemic
Funded By: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Project Duration: 2010 to present

TB CARE II
Funded By: United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Project Duration: 2010 to present

Improving TB Detection and TB-HIV Services Integration
Funded By: URC
Project Duration: 2011 to present

Georgia Tuberculosis Prevention Project (TPP)
Funded By: US Agency for International Development (USAID)
Project Duration: 2011 to present

TB Program Evaluation in Benin
Funded By: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Project Duration: 2011 to present

Past Projects

Data Quality Audit (DQA) Framework
Funded By: The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Project Duration: 2008-2010

USAID Health Care Improvement Project (HCI) | Vietnam
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2007 to March 2011

Improving Primary Health Care in Albania I and II (Pro Shëndetit)
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2003–2009

Nongovernmental Organization Service Delivery Program in Bangladesh
Funded By: US Agency for International Development/Bangladesh
Project Duration: 2002-2006

Health Systems Strengthening (HSS)
Funded By: US Agency for International Development/Cambodia
Project Duration: 2002-2008

Central America Health Consultancies
Funded By: The World Bank
Project Duration: 1990-1995

El Salvador Strengthening Health Project Technical Assistance and Support Contract 2 (TASC2)
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2006–2009

Diagnostic Test Cost Analysis for the Developing World
Funded By: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Project Duration: 2007–2009

Health Planning and Health Delivery Systems
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 1983-1990

Primary Health Care Management Advancement Program
Funded By: The Aga Khan Foundation
Project Duration: 1991-1993

Partnerships for Health Reform Project and Partners for Health Reformplus
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 1995–2005

Primary Health Care Operations Research Project (PRICOR) I and II
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 1981–1991

Water and Sanitation for Health
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 1988–1994

Kazakhstan TB Project
Funded By: Project HOPE
Project Duration: 2000-2001

Quality Assurance Project (QAP) I, II, and III
Funded By: US Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 1990-2008

TASC2 Tuberculosis: South Africa
Funded By: US Agency for International Development/South Africa
Project Duration: 2004-2009

Integrated Technical Assistance Project
Funded By: US Agency for International Development/South Africa
Project Duration: 2004-2008

e-Health in Bangladesh: Survey on Strengthening Remote Health Service Facilities
Funded By: Grameen Communication Center
Project Duration: 2008

Technical Assistance and Support Contract 2 (TASC2): Global Health
Funded By: United States Agency for International Development
Project Duration: 2004–2009