The Global Fund Community Tuberculosis Grant Implementation

About the Project

ARFH is currently implementing the Community TB component of the GF- Funded Tuberculosis grant Nigeria in collaboration with the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP), the Principal Recipient of the grant, and an institution mandated to coordinate TB and Leprosy control activities in all States in Nigeria in order to significantly reduce the public burden of the two diseases. This grant has continued this Jan, 2021 to end Dec, 2023.

Project Goal

To ensure prompt access to high quality, patient-centred TB diagnosis (DSTB and DRTB), treatment, and follow-up services in the community, thus contributing to improved treatment outcomes towards reducing TB transmission in Nigeria.

Project Aim

The Community TB Project aims to rapidly increase TB case finding using existing community networks to identify and screen presumptive TB cases and/or persons with cough of at least two weeks’ duration iin the following States of Nigeria namely:  Kano, Osun, Oyo, Kaduna, Katsina, Anambra, Abia, Sokoto, Rivers, and FCT from 2019-2020 and has expanded to Delta, Kogi and Nasarawa states for grant period of 2021-2023.

ARFH also implements community programmatic management of drug resistant TB in the 35 States plus FCT. ARFH Active TB case Finding(ACF) in the 10 states contributed to 45% of the total TB case notification in those states from 2019-2020 and 42% in 2021.

Project Objectives are:

1. To ensure that communities have accurate knowledge of TB through community level mobilization, sensitization, and demand creation for TB/HIV services through engaged CBO (SSRs) and CTWs.
2. To increase the identification of all forms of TB cases through house-to-house search, contact tracing, sputum collection, and transportation and improve access to quality TB/HIV services
3. To strengthen the mechanism for community linkages and coordination by collaborating with relevant stakeholders in the LGA and community with the aim of promoting visibility, ownership, and sustainability of the Global Fund supported TB program.
4. To ensure prompt access to high quality, patient-centered DR-TB diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up services thus contributing to improved treatment outcomes and reduction in DR-TB transmission in Nigeria.

Key Strategies

• Advocacy, community mobilization & sensitization
• Innovative Active Case Finding activities in the community
• Institutional and human resource capacity building, planning, and leadership development of the Community Based Organizations(CBOs) and other community actors
• Community management of DRTB patients
• Strengthen capacity for management of DRTB in the community
• Referrals and linkage strengthening
• Programme monitoring including programme reviews and operational research activities
• Strengthening of infection control practices.

Key Achievements

1. In 2021, a total of 1,906,372 households were visited by the Community TB Workers (CTWs), 425,734 presumptive TB cases were identified out of 41,494 positive TB cases were diagnosed and 2,072 DR-TB cases notified
2. In 2019 July- Dec, 2020, A total of 511, 181 households were visited, 352,423 presumptive TB cases were identified out of which 39,420 were positive TB cases. 39,081 of the positive TB cases were placed on treatment. Furthermore, a total of 2,010 DR-TB cases were notified in the year 2020. TB case notification curve, house-to-house search was conducted in slum communities and densely populated areas across the project states. CTWs were actively involved in the identification of presumptive clients, collection of sputum samples and transfer to the laboratories, and retrieval of results.
3. On TB awareness creation, ARFH adopted innovative approaches in the states of implementation including the Test and Win innovative approach which was aimed at ensuring that communities have accurate knowledge of TB through community-level mobilization, sensitization, and demand creation for TB/HIV services through engaged CBO (SSRs) and Community TB Workers (CTWs) in the slums and hot spots.
4. ARFH through her State Adhoc Officers embarked on quarterly data verification meetings at the state and LGAs levels involving CBO representatives, TB DOT Staff, Laboratory focal person, and TBLS. The purpose of the meeting was to review the activities of the CTWs and documentation at the facility registers, review the indicators of the project to guide and align the CBO report with that of the state TBLCP, reconcile, validate and harmonize data as well as provide feedback to the relevant key stakeholders.
5. Community Programmatic Management of DRTB (CPMDT) activities such as DR-TB patient follow-up and home visit, contract tracing was carried out as part of efforts to ensure DR-TB cases are fully notified, treatment initiated, and treatment regimen adhered to up to completion. During home visits, CBOs/CTWs addressed challenges expressed by the patients and referred clinical issues to STBLCPs for the necessary review and attention. Such activities ensured greater awareness and knowledge about TB infection, control and diagnosis, as well as greater demand for TB services.

For additional information about the Community TB Project, contact:

Dr Queen Ogbuji

TB Project Coordinator

Trade and Convention Centre, The Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry Complex, KM8, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Express Way, Airport Road, Beside Shoprite, Lugbe, Abuja 

Mobile: +234-803-430-3042

Email: ogbuji.q@arfh-ng.org

Website:  www.arfh-ng.org