The Eradicate Tuberculosis Project Quarterly Report no. 2

The project operates in six provinces, including Central, Luapula, Muchinga, Northern, North Western, and Western, as well as at the national level to strengthen the Government of Zambia's response to ultimately eliminate TB. This is being done in accordance with the global End TB Strategy and Zambia's new National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Prevention, Care, and Control, 2017-2021. The project focuses on four task areas: pursuing high-quality DOTS expansion and enhancement, addressing TB-HIV, Multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB, and the needs of poor and vulnerable populations, engaging all categories of providers in Ending TB, and enabling and promoting research. The project is implemented by a consortium of six organizations, led by PATH, with PATH providing overall, financial, and technical support, as well as monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and strategic information support. The project partners include PATH, ZAMBART, ASLM, CITAM+, Initiatives Inc., and African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM). Each organization has specific responsibilities, such as providing technical assistance, community mobilization, and awareness-raising activities, increasing TB case detection, and strengthening the National TB Laboratory's capacity. In Quarter 1 of 2018, the project made significant progress in implementing its activities. A Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor was recruited, and the Copperbelt provincial TB officer resigned, with the project recruiting for a replacement. The project also recruited two TB officers to be seconded to the Kitwe district. The project's main objectives are to increase the number of individuals screened for TB in target provinces by 50 percent, thereby increasing the number of people diagnosed with TB, and to increase the TB treatment success rate to 96 percent and beyond in the target provinces. The project aims to achieve these objectives through its four task areas and the support of its partner organizations. The project's implementation challenges include addressing TB-HIV, MDR-TB, and the needs of poor and vulnerable populations, engaging all categories of providers in Ending TB, and enabling and promoting research. The project's success stories include the use of new TB diagnostics as a gateway to ending TB, maximizing TB service uptake through community involvement, and the establishment of the Zambian Parliamentary TB Caucus, a platform for increased political will. The project's results progress summary indicates a 27% increase in the number of targeted health care workers trained in patient-centered management, DOTS, and TB/HIV care. The project's conclusion highlights the importance of continued support and resources to achieve its objectives and ultimately eliminate TB in Zambia. The project's planned activities for Quarter 2 include increasing access to TB/HIV and MDR-TB services for poor and vulnerable populations, engaging all categories of care providers, and enabling and promoting research.