USAID/Philippines : external evaluation of the tuberculosis portfolio (2006-2011)

To assess the performance, quality and impact of these projects and to inform future support, USAID/Philippines initiated an independent, external evaluation of its TB portfolio. This report presents the results of that evaluation. USAID-supported TB projects (2006–2011) enhanced national TB control efforts and improved the quality of care for TB patients. All eight projects achieved their high-level objectives, with both immediate benefits for policy and service delivery and, as a result of extensive capacity building efforts, anticipated long-term benefits. They reached an important quality of care target (i.e., cure rate), however they did not achieve the targets set for some important indicators, such as case detection rates (CDR) and case notification rates (CNR). Among projects that had TB-specific targets, approximately half of the project-specific targets were achieved (primarily process and output targets). The lack of TB-specific targets for five projects did not allow for an overall quantitative judgment (in terms of targets met) of the entire USAID portfolio. The primary contributions of USAID-supported TB projects were in the areas of: (1) policy, service regulation and financing development and implementation, in particular at the local government unit level; (2) capacity building in TB care and control through trainings; (3) TB laboratory strengthening (including to the National TB Reference Laboratory [NTRL]); (4) anti-TB drug monitoring; and (5) (to a lesser extent) on information management and communication. (Excerpt, modified)