USAID Tuberculosis South Africa Project – Quarterly Report 2 January to March 2019

The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the terms of Contract Agreement Number AID-OAA-I-14-00035 and Order Number AID-674-TO-16-00002. The project's primary objective is to reduce TB infections and improve the care and treatment of vulnerable populations. To achieve this, the project focuses on three intermediate results (IRs): TB infections reduced, sustainability of effective TB response systems increased, and care and treatment of vulnerable populations improved. TB infections reduced is the first IR, which involves increasing public awareness of the TB epidemic, effective implementation of infection prevention and control, and improved TB screening among key populations. The project has made significant progress in this area, with increased public awareness of TB symptoms and improved TB screening among key populations. The second IR, sustainability of effective TB response systems increased, involves strengthening management capacity at all levels, strengthening service delivery capacity at all levels, and improving data reporting and recording at all levels. The project has made notable progress in this area, with strengthened management capacity at all levels and improved data reporting and recording. The third IR, care and treatment of vulnerable populations improved, involves increasing contact tracing of key populations, improving TB case management among key populations, and strengthening comprehensive systems and partnerships for care. The project has made significant progress in this area, with increased contact tracing of key populations and improved TB case management among key populations. The project has also made significant progress in finding missing TB patients, with a focus on identifying and treating patients who have dropped out of care. The project has implemented various strategies to improve TB case finding, including the use of electronic tuberculosis registers and community health workers. The project's key output and performance indicators include ETR/EDR reports by supported district, which show a significant increase in TB case finding and treatment initiation. The project has also made significant progress in implementing quality improvement plans and training of trainers. The project has received support from various stakeholders, including the National Department of Health, the World Health Organization, and the United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The project has also received funding from USAID and has implemented various strategies to improve TB case finding and treatment initiation. The project's results framework, as shown in Figure 1, outlines the project's objectives, indicators, and targets. The project's progress is monitored and evaluated through regular reporting and data analysis. The project has implemented various strategies to improve TB case finding and treatment initiation, including the use of electronic tuberculosis registers, community health workers, and quality improvement plans. The project has also made significant progress in strengthening management capacity at all levels and improving data reporting and recording. The project's achievements are reflected in the various tables and figures presented in the report, which show significant progress in TB case finding, treatment initiation, and care and treatment of vulnerable populations. The project's success is attributed to the collaborative efforts of the URC, sub-recipients, and various stakeholders, as well as the funding and support provided by USAID. The project's progress is a testament to the effectiveness of collaborative efforts in combating TB in South Africa. The project's achievements demonstrate the importance of strengthening management capacity, improving data reporting and recording, and implementing quality improvement plans to improve TB case finding and treatment initiation.