USAID has awarded URC a 5-year, $37.3 million contract to strengthen and increase access to TB services and prevent the spread of TB in the Philippines.
Under the USAID TB-Free Luzon Activity, URC will work closely with the Philippines National TB Control Program and other government departments to empower local governments, spur local innovations, and scale up TB screening, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. The project will work across eight of the country’s 18 regions, with a focus on high TB burden areas.
URC’s Systematic Utilization of Strategic Interventions framework will: enhance people-centered care; develop individual and institutional capacity to implement TB services; engage and empower civil society organizations, youth, and patient groups; and execute replicable continuous quality improvement models by leveraging data-driven decisions, site utilization analyses, and health systems strengthening programs.
“With funding from USAID, the USAID TB-Free Luzon Activity builds on the progress and achievements of URC’s previous efforts in the Philippines,” said Dr. Marianne Calnan, project Chief of Party. “Leveraging our past successes will drive our ability to continue making significant strides in TB prevention and control and advocating for health equity for all to create a healthier, TB-free future for the Filipinos.”
The URC-led TB Platforms activity in the Philippines strengthened TB interventions at the regional, local government, and community levels to increase TB case detection and treatment success rates. The project expanded health system’s capacity to deliver TB and drug-resistant TB services to targeted populations by supporting, strengthening, and empowering local government units to plan, manage, finance, oversee, and lead TB control efforts. Achievements included:
- TB treatment coverage rates increased from 60% in 2017 to 101% in 2023;
- Treatment success rates for drug-sensitive TB in the public sector remained consistent at 90%;
- Treatment success rates for drug-resistant TB increased significantly from 56% in 2018 to 84% by the end of 2023; and
- Achieving targets for childhood TB (88%) and private sector notifications (112%).
URC empowers countries and vulnerable communities to deliver results and embrace new tools, technologies, and approaches across the TB care continuum, from detection and prevention to diagnosis and treatment. By engaging partnerships across every level of government, ministries of health, private health providers, and communities, URC works collaboratively to help strengthen systems and create greater equity, effectiveness, and sustainability at the local level.
