TB CARE I-Pakistan Year 1 Quarterly Report January - March 2012

The survey field work was completed in 95 country-wide clusters, followed by data entry, validation, and sharing of the preliminary results with stakeholders on March 28, 2012. The preliminary survey report shows that the prevalence of definite pulmonary TB cases in Pakistan is 295/100,000 adult population. The National TB Control Programme, with support from USAID TB CARE I project, organized a Training of Trainers (TOT) and planning workshop on Fluorescent Light Emitting Diode (LED) Microscopy from February 27 to March 7, 2012. Dr. Sang Jae Kim, Director Emeritus of the Korean Institute of Tuberculosis, conducted a technical assistance mission to facilitate the TOT on LED microscopes, support the development of training modules, and prepare the implementation plan. The event was attended by 14 participants, including four from the National Reference Laboratory and 10 from Provincial Reference Labs/PTPs. USAID has approved the re-appropriation for TB CARE I, allowing the project to have a no-cost extension for one month in April 2012 for project audit and close-out. The project's expected outputs have been achieved, including completing the survey field work, data entry, and validation, as well as organizing the TOT on LED microscopes to support the National TB Control Programme. The survey preliminary report sharing ceremony was held on March 28, 2012, and was attended by key stakeholders, including USAID, NTP staff, KNCV, WHO, and representatives of print and electronic media. The event was widely covered by the media, highlighting the project's achievements and progress. TB CARE I-Pakistan has made significant progress in its first year, with 58 clusters completed (100% of the target) and a preliminary survey report showing a prevalence of definite pulmonary TB cases in Pakistan of 295/100,000 adult population. The project has also organized a TOT on LED microscopes and has completed various technical assistance activities, including HR salaries for prevalence survey staff, operational costs for prevalence survey, and international technical assistance. The project's next steps include publishing the survey data in peer-reviewed journals and planning for future steps through a Skype meeting between NTP and KNCV on April 5, 2012. The project has also identified a huge amount of survey data available for publication and has provided an opportunity for the nomination of national staff for the Ph.D. program by the NTP. TB CARE I-Pakistan's quarterly activity plan report highlights the project's progress and achievements in various technical areas, including M&E, OR, and Surveillance. The report shows that the project has completed various activities, including HR salaries for prevalence survey staff, operational costs for prevalence survey, and international technical assistance, with a cumulative completion rate of 100% in some areas. The project's quarterly technical outcome report shows that the number of clusters completed during the year is 58 (37% of the target), with a significant increase in the number of clusters completed in the first quarter of 2012. The report also highlights the challenges faced by the project, including the huge amount of survey data available for publication and the need to work on this data for future publications. Overall, TB CARE I-Pakistan has made significant progress in its first year, with achievements in survey field work, data entry, and validation, as well as organizing a TOT on LED microscopes and completing various technical assistance activities. The project's next steps include publishing the survey data in peer-reviewed journals and planning for future steps.