TB CARE II Project Fact Sheet

The USAID TB CARE II Project, implemented by University Research Co., LLC (URC) along with a wide consortium of health and development partners, began in 2010 with the aim of complementing and building upon existing and planned projects in the Bureau for Global Health to provide global leadership and support to National TB Programs and other in-country partners. TB CARE works as a partner to Ministries of Health and National TB Control Programs to build lasting health system capacity to fight TB. In collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), USAID, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other partners, TB CARE II seeks to advance global knowledge of innovative TB control strategies. The project provides a mix of technical assistance through long-term field support programs in countries such as Malawi, Bangladesh, and South Africa in operations research and support for regional or global initiatives around critical TB control topics. TB CARE II's work focuses on expanding and strengthening the quality of Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) services, particularly for vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations. The project also aims to strengthen systems for programmatic management of drug-resistant TB, expand TB/HIV and TB/Diabetes integrated care and treatment services, develop supportive health systems, increase the availability of pediatric TB services, and build laboratory systems for TB diagnosis and follow-up. TB CARE II has implemented several strategies to increase access to high-quality DOT services, including the introduction of community sputum collection points and treatment initiation and registration sites, involvement of private providers in TB diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up, establishment of referral systems for diagnosis of extra-pulmonary TB, and capacitating health care workers to provide TB and DM services within the integrated chronic service management model. The project has also worked to implement the FAST strategy in four countries: Vietnam, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Malawi. TB CARE II has also assisted in the renovation of microscopy centers, establishment of sputum transportation systems, provision of LED microscopes, and roll out of Xpert MTB/RIF machines with technical assistance in development of country-specific algorithms. Over 9,700 MTB and over 2,800 Rif Resistant cases have been detected in Malawi and Bangladesh. The project has also worked with countries to expand clinical and programmatic capacity to diagnose and treat MDR TB, including increasing the availability of hospital-based treatment services. TB CARE II has also made significant contributions to pediatric TB diagnosis and treatment. The project has worked with the Ministry of Health in Bangladesh to introduce the country's first-ever National Guidelines for Management of Childhood Tuberculosis and initiated wide-scale capacity development programs for health care professionals on pediatric TB. In South Africa, the project has partnered with schools, day cares, and early childhood development centers to strengthen the community response to childhood TB. In addition, TB CARE II is working in four countries in the Southern African region (Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland) to address TB in mines. The project works with the mining community and the surrounding health centers to provide education and resources to decrease the spread of TB and treat those with TB. TB CARE II is also working to develop international guidelines and protocols for the implementation and maintenance of Germicidal Ultra-Violet (GUV) devices in health facilities to prevent the spread of TB.