TB-REP 2.0: Advancing People-Centered Quality TB Care - From the New Model of Care Towards Improving DR-TB Early Detection and Treatment Outcomes
Experience in mobilizing NGO resources and maintaining continuity of TB services during COVID-19
9/30/2020 12:37 PM
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Stella Bivol, Director of the PAS Center, presented an overview of the risk assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the continuity of the tuberculosis control program in nine countries of the EECA region, conducted under TB REP 2.0 at the WHO Regional Office for Europe meeting.
In her presentation, she highlighted the importance of supporting those at the forefront of the healthcare system. This can be done in the following ways:
Eliminate congestion by actively participating in the provision of enhanced home-based DOT and VOT services, by transporting people to health facilities, assisting volunteer doctors with online consultations and home visits for medical procedures or medication delivery.
Support of healthcare workers: PPE for medical personnel, organization of hotel accommodation for medical workers
Provide support for Covid-19 needs: Digital surveillance and GIS for case detection and predictive models of Covid-19
According to Stela Bivol, the focus of civil organizations to ensure resilience in and after COVID-19 should be as follows:
Increase efforts and resources for direct support of the key population (nutrition, basic needs) and home services
Ensuring the protection of personnel and adequate pay
Greater emphasis on virtual service delivery, connectivity and online outreach. For example, OneImpact, and other digital tools to promote adherence to treatment for effective recovery
Pay more attention to information, research and capacity building
Develop social entrepreneurship
It is important to note that Stella Bivol expressed her gratitude to partner organizations for sharing the best practices that they have implemented in countries during the COVID-19 period.
Their experience became the basis for the preparation of this Assessment:
Armenia: “Armenian Network of Positive People”, Center for TB Research and Prevention
Azerbaijan: Saglamliga Khidmat "Ictimai birliyi (Public Association" Health Support")
Kazakhstan: ALE "Kazakhstan Union of People Living with HIV"
Kyrgyzstan: Public Fund "AIDS Foundation East-West in the Kyrgyz Republic"
Moldova: Act for Involvement, Union of Harm Reduction Organizations, League of People Living with HIV
Uzbekistan: information and educational center of non-governmental and non-profit organization "INTILISH", NGO "Ishonch va hayot" ("Hope and Life")
Tajikistan: Stop TB Partnership
Ukraine "TBpeopleUkraine"
National Tuberculosis Programs for their contribution to risk assessments: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine
The online meeting of leaders and partners of national programs to combat tuberculosis, HIV and viral hepatitis to address the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic was held on September 23-24, 2020.
In 2018, PAS Center together with implementing partners have designed a new regional project (TB-REP 2.0) to advance towards people-centered approaches ensuring provision of quality TB and DR-TB care and prevention in EECA region, based on previous experience and lessons learned from the implementation of the regional TB-REP program designed to contribute to strengthening health systems’ responses to TB in the longer term. The overall goal of TB-REP 2.0 is to foster timely TB case detection and improved treatment outcomes in patients with special emphasis on drug-resistant TB, in eleven EECA countries through meaningful involvement of communities and civil society and integrated people-centered TB care delivery systems able to address the needs of key and vulnerable populations. The program incorporates the full spectrum of DR-TB prevention and care issues, targeting both health and sustainable community systems for improved quality and strengthened people-centered approaches in TB care delivery.
Implementation period:
January 2019 to December 2021
Implementing partners
The project is funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria