Improving TB Diagnosis and Treatment Services in Uganda
Every year more than 2 million people around the world die from TB (tuberculosis), but the disease’s greatest impact is felt in sub-Saharan Africa.
In Uganda, TB has affected all sections of the population – but poor communities are the most vulnerable. Uganda ranks 16th on the list of the 22 most affected countries in the world.
AMREF and the Stop TB Partnership are working to increase the number of TB cases detected and treated. So far, through the training of health workers, medical outreach activities in the community and increased public awareness, the project has resulted in the detection of 3,391 new cases out of a targeted 4,278.
Photos of our work improving TB diagnosis and treatment
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TB is particularly deadly among people living with HIV/AIDS. Half of all Ugandans who have TB are also living with HIV and 30 per cent of all TB deaths within the country are attributed to AIDS. The emergence of multi-drug resistance TB has made fighting the disease even more difficult. There is also a high co-incidence between HIV, TB and malaria in Uganda, yet most health services continue to treat the three diseases separately.
More resources are urgently needed to make quality TB care accessible to everyone in Uganda. Eliminating TB depends on developing new drugs, vaccines and coordinated efforts to fight the deadly disease.
AMREF is:
Working in two central Ugandan communities – Kiboga and Luwero – AMREF is working to improve TB diagnosis and treatment services while scaling up efforts to address treating malaria, AIDS, and TB together. The project will decrease TB transmission rates and related deaths.
Specific activities include;
- Providing new equipment and supplies to ten laboratories to improve detection, care, and treatment of TB and HIV patients
- Training community health workers on testing, managing and treating TB as well as, reducing stigma and discrimination towards TB patients within communities
- Increasing the number of community outreach activities testing people for HIV and TB
- Supporting district and community health centres to manage and monitor anti-TB medication
Major Project Funder: Stop TB Partnership
Learn more about AMREF's projects in;
Ethiopia
Kenya
South Africa
Southern Sudan
Tanzania
