Quarterly Report FY 2021 Quarter 3: April 01 - June 30, 2021

The program aims to improve access to TB care, strengthen the capacity of local organizations to engage in the TB response, and accelerate declines in TB incidence. The activity is implemented by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Viet Nam, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Erase TB Activity focuses on four key work packages: ENHANCE, REPORT, ASSIST, and SWEEP. ENHANCE aims to improve early TB detection and treatment by screening household members and close contacts of TB patients using the 'Double-X' strategy. REPORT seeks to increase service quality and reporting by private sector providers through engagement and TB treatment report collection. ASSIST provides social support to TB households to reduce the social and financial burden on patients. SWEEP implements community-based mobile chest X-ray screening and Xpert testing to improve access to TB services. The activity also includes a fifth work package, EVALUATE, which monitors and evaluates the project's progress and outputs. The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) work package ensures that data-driven decisions are made to maximize TB yields and population-level impact. As of the reporting period, April 1 to June 30, 2021, the Erase TB Activity has made significant progress in achieving its targets. The number of people screened with chest X-ray has exceeded the target, with 43,284 individuals screened, representing a 169.0% achievement of the target. The number of people diagnosed with TB has also increased, with 1,923 individuals diagnosed, representing a 224.5% achievement of the target. The activity has also made progress in initiating TB treatment, with 1,909 individuals initiated on treatment, representing a 223.9% achievement of the target. However, the number of TB patients successfully treated is not yet available, as this data will be reported with a 1-year delay, in line with NTP policy. In addition, the activity has evaluated 4,827 household contacts for active or latent TB, representing a 36.5% achievement of the target. However, the number of household contacts initiated on preventive treatment is low, with only 2,250 individuals initiated, representing a 4.4% achievement of the target. The Erase TB Activity has engaged with various stakeholders, including the National TB Control Programme, Viet Nam Integrated Center for TB and Respirology Research, and Ha Noi Lung Hospital, to improve access to TB care and strengthen the capacity of local organizations to engage in the TB response. The activity has also collaborated with other national stakeholders to implement concurrent LTBI interventions.