TB CARE Annual Work Plan and Budget

The project supports a range of interventions, including the expansion and strengthening of universal and early access to TB services, the strengthening of diagnosis and management of DR TB, and the enhancement of capacity and quality of lab services. Implementation of the project's planned activities in the third quarter of FY 2014 (July-September 2014) focused on developing the capacity of the National TB Control Program (NTP) and NGOs in screening, diagnosis, and management of all forms of TB. The project also expanded access to diagnosis and management of MDR TB, strengthened health systems, especially laboratory services and systems, and improved knowledge and awareness about TB. National case notification data shows a slight decrease in total notification of new cases of all forms by 0.4% over the corresponding period of 2013. However, the notification of EPTB cases has increased by 9.7% in the second quarter of 2014 compared to the same period of 2013. The project has identified and tested 1,563 TB and other lung disease patients and detected 190 TB cases, including 21 RIF-resistant cases, through the FAST approach. The project has been supporting thirteen local NGO sub-grantees to strengthen TB control activities, particularly in underperforming districts and targeted to vulnerable populations. The sub-grant programs have reported detection of 1,646 new TB cases in this quarter, with a significant increase in case detection for smear-negative and EPTB cases. The public-private initiative supported through the NGOs has contributed to the identification of 2,648 presumptive TB cases during the current quarter. The Xpert MTB/RIF test has become the primary diagnostic tool for Bangladesh in the detection of MTB Rif-resistant cases. GeneXpert testing was performed for a total of 10,893 samples this quarter, contributing to the detection of 201 RIF-resistant cases of the 3,029 DR-TB samples tested. The expansion of national capacity for facility and community-based treatment of MDR-TB patients has progressed as per the work plan, with the addition of 10 additional beds for inpatient treatment of MDR-TB patients through Barisal CDH. Capacity-building activities aimed at improving the management of MDR-TB include counseling training for 45 CDH nurses at Chittagong CDH and training of 83 outpatient DR TB team members from two new districts to develop their capacity for management of patients. During this quarter, a total of 249 patients were initiated to MDR-TB treatment through NTP and Damien facilities, and 151 patients have been transferred to the community for continuation phase treatment. The project has also been supporting a grants program through selected NGOs specifically in underperforming areas for the last three years. This initiative has contributed to increasing the detection of additional TB cases and community awareness about prevention and early care-seeking for TB services. The national TB program is now better positioned to realize its goals and objectives given specialized support to sustaining the interventions initiated by the project in the last four years.