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Yellappa V, Moray K, Heitkamp P, Shyam Klinton J. Building a virtual community of practice - The evolution of the TBPPM learning network, India chapter. J Clin Tuberc Other Mycobact Dis 2024; 35:100419. [PMID: 38414582 PMCID: PMC10897910 DOI: 10.1016/j.jctube.2024.100419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
India's National Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination Program strategically involves private providers to achieve its 2025 goal of ending TB. The government's patient-provider support agency scheme (PPSA) aims to expand the Public-Private Mix (PPM) strategy using domestic resources, though challenges persist in cross-learning and documentation. The TB Public Private Mix Learning Network (TBPPM-LN) launched its India chapter in 2021, connecting PPM stakeholders virtually. With 600 + members, TBPPM-India, acting as a digital Community of Practice, is pivotal in fostering a learning culture, leading knowledge-sharing initiatives, and disseminating TBPPM field innovations, contributing significantly to India's intensified efforts against TB.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kusum Moray
- TBPPM Learning Network - India Chapter, India
| | - Petra Heitkamp
- TBPPM Learning Network, Montreal, Canada
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Joel Shyam Klinton
- TBPPM Learning Network, Montreal, Canada
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada
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2
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Thapa P, Narasimhan P, Beek K, Hall JJ, Jayasuriya R, Mukherjee PS, Sheokand S, Heitkamp P, Shukla P, Klinton JS, Yellappa V, Mudgal N, Pai M. Unlocking the potential of informal healthcare providers in tuberculosis care: insights from India. BMJ Glob Health 2024; 9:e015212. [PMID: 38413099 PMCID: PMC10900372 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Poshan Thapa
- School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- TB-PPM Learning Network, McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Padmanesan Narasimhan
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kristen Beek
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John J Hall
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rohan Jayasuriya
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Surbhi Sheokand
- TB-PPM Learning Network, McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Petra Heitkamp
- TB-PPM Learning Network, McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Joel Shyam Klinton
- TB-PPM Learning Network, McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vijayshree Yellappa
- TB-PPM Learning Network, McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Madhukar Pai
- School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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3
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Reid M, Agbassi YJP, Arinaminpathy N, Bercasio A, Bhargava A, Bhargava M, Bloom A, Cattamanchi A, Chaisson R, Chin D, Churchyard G, Cox H, Denkinger CM, Ditiu L, Dowdy D, Dybul M, Fauci A, Fedaku E, Gidado M, Harrington M, Hauser J, Heitkamp P, Herbert N, Herna Sari A, Hopewell P, Kendall E, Khan A, Kim A, Koek I, Kondratyuk S, Krishnan N, Ku CC, Lessem E, McConnell EV, Nahid P, Oliver M, Pai M, Raviglione M, Ryckman T, Schäferhoff M, Silva S, Small P, Stallworthy G, Temesgen Z, van Weezenbeek K, Vassall A, Velásquez GE, Venkatesan N, Yamey G, Zimmerman A, Jamison D, Swaminathan S, Goosby E. Scientific advances and the end of tuberculosis: a report from the Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis. Lancet 2023; 402:1473-1498. [PMID: 37716363 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01379-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Reid
- University of California San Francisco Center for Tuberculosis, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Yvan Jean Patrick Agbassi
- Global TB Community Advisory Board, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore, India
| | | | - Alyssa Bercasio
- University of California San Francisco Center for Tuberculosis, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Anurag Bhargava
- Department of General Medicine, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore, India
| | - Madhavi Bhargava
- Department of Community Medicine, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangalore, India
| | - Amy Bloom
- Division of Tuberculosis, Bureau of Global Health, USAID, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Richard Chaisson
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Chin
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Helen Cox
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Claudia M Denkinger
- Heidelberg University Hospital, German Center of Infection Research, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - David Dowdy
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark Dybul
- Department of Medicine, Center for Global Health Practice and Impact, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anthony Fauci
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Petra Heitkamp
- McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nick Herbert
- Global TB Caucus, Houses of Parliament, London, UK
| | | | - Philip Hopewell
- University of California San Francisco Center for Tuberculosis, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emily Kendall
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aamir Khan
- Interactive Research & Development, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Andrew Kim
- University of California San Francisco Center for Tuberculosis, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Nalini Krishnan
- Resource Group for Education and Advocacy for Community Health (REACH), Chennai, India
| | - Chu-Chang Ku
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Erica Lessem
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Payam Nahid
- University of California San Francisco Center for Tuberculosis, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Madhukar Pai
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mario Raviglione
- Centre for Multidisciplinary Research in Health Science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Theresa Ryckman
- Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Sachin Silva
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Anna Vassall
- Department of Global Health and Development, Faculty of Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Gustavo E Velásquez
- University of California San Francisco Center for Tuberculosis, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Gavin Yamey
- Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Dean Jamison
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Eric Goosby
- University of California San Francisco Center for Tuberculosis, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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4
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Branigan D, Denkinger CM, Furin J, Heitkamp P, Deborggraeve S, van Gemert W, Herrera R, Kondratyuk S, McKenna L, Ndjeka N, Omar SV, Pai M. Diagnostics to support the scaling up of shorter, safer tuberculosis regimens. Lancet Microbe 2023; 4:e758-e760. [PMID: 37536352 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00217-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Claudia M Denkinger
- Division of Infectious Disease and Tropical Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; German Centre for Infection Research (partner site), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jennifer Furin
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Petra Heitkamp
- TBPPM Learning Network, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Rosa Herrera
- Global Tuberculosis Community Advisory Board, Mexicali, México
| | | | | | | | - Shaheed Vally Omar
- Centre for Tuberculosis, National Institute for Communicable Diseases a division of the National Health Laboratory Service, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Madhukar Pai
- McGill International TB Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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5
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Miller R, Wafula F, Eman KU, Rakesh PS, Faleye BO, Duggan C, Sousa Pinto G, Heitkamp P, Rana N, Klinton JS, Sulis G, Oga-Omenka C, Pai M. Pharmacy engagement in TB prevention and care: not if, but how? BMJ Glob Health 2023; 8:e013104. [PMID: 37474278 PMCID: PMC10360412 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rosalind Miller
- TBPPM Learning Network, Research Institute McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Francis Wafula
- Institute of Healthcare Management, Strathmore University Strathmore Business School, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - P S Rakesh
- Amity Institute of Public Health & Hospital Administration, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bolanle Olusola Faleye
- USAID Local Health Systems Sustainability project (LHSS), Abt Associates Nigeria, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Catherine Duggan
- International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), The Hague, The Netherlands
| | | | - Petra Heitkamp
- TBPPM Learning Network, Research Institute McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Namrata Rana
- TBPPM Learning Network, Research Institute McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Joel Shyam Klinton
- TBPPM Learning Network, Research Institute McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Giorgia Sulis
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charity Oga-Omenka
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Madhukar Pai
- McGill School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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6
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Ali T, Singh U, Ohikhuai C, Panwal T, Adetiba T, Agbaje A, Olusola Faleye B, Shyam Klinton J, Oga-Omenka C, Tseja-Akinrin A, Heitkamp P. Partnering with the private laboratories to strengthen TB diagnostics in Nigeria. J Clin Tuberc Other Mycobact Dis 2023; 31:100369. [PMID: 37122613 PMCID: PMC10130621 DOI: 10.1016/j.jctube.2023.100369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite being curable and preventable, tuberculosis (TB) affected 10 million people worldwide in 2020. In the seven highest TB burden countries, private providers account for more than two-thirds of initial care seeking. Closing gaps and finding the "missing people" with TB requires engagement of the private sector for better diagnostics and treatment. This review explores the efforts of a public-private partnership to enhance TB diagnostics in Nigeria, covering logistics and the distribution of GeneXpert machines and other diagnostic tools. Over three years, the Nigerian "hub and spoke" model led to a 28-fold increase in referrals of people with presumed TB in private diagnostic facilities. Various stakeholders' perspectives are also included, providing insight into opportunities and challenges of working with the private sector in this effort. As countries tackle the setbacks brought by COVID-19 and move towards reaching the End TB targets, partnerships such as these can strengthen the foundations of health systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Urvashi Singh
- TBPPM Learning Network, Montreal, Canada
- McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Joel Shyam Klinton
- TBPPM Learning Network, Montreal, Canada
- McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada
- Corresponding author.
| | | | | | - Petra Heitkamp
- TBPPM Learning Network, Montreal, Canada
- McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada
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7
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Mannan S, Oga-Omenka C, Soman ThekkePurakkal A, Huria L, Kalra A, Gandhi R, Kapoor T, Gunawardena N, Raj S, Kaur M, Sassi A, Pande T, Shibu V, Sarin S, Singh Chadha S, Heitkamp P, Das J, Rao R, Pai M. Adaptations to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic by private sector tuberculosis care providers in India. J Clin Tuberc Other Mycobact Dis 2022; 28:100327. [PMID: 35874450 PMCID: PMC9295336 DOI: 10.1016/j.jctube.2022.100327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background India’s dominant private healthcare sector is the destination for 60–85% of initial tuberculosis care-seeking. The COVID-19 pandemic in India drastically affected TB case notifications in the first half of 2020. In this survey, we assessed the impact of the first wave of COVID-19 in India on private providers, and changes they adopted in their practice due to the pandemic. Methods The Joint Effort for Elimination of TB (JEET) is a nationwide Global Fund project implemented across 406 districts in 23 states to extend quality TB services to patients seeking care in private sector. We conducted a rapid survey of 11% (2,750) of active providers engaged under JEET’s intense Patient Provider Support Agency (PPSA) model across 15 Indian states in Q1 (February–March) of 2021. Providers were contacted in person or telephonically, and consenting participants were interviewed using a web-based survey tool. Responses from participants were elicited on their practice before COVID-19, during the 2020 lockdowns (March–April 2020) and currently (Q1 2021). Data were adjusted for survey design and non-response, and results were summarised using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results Of the 2,750 providers sampled, 2,011 consented and were surveyed (73 % response). Nearly 50 % were between 30 and 45 years of age, and 51 % were from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Seventy percent of providers reported reduced daily out-patient numbers in Q1 2021 compared to pre-COVID times. During the lockdown, 898 (40 %) of providers said their facilities were closed, while 323 (11 %) offered limited services including teleconsultation. In Q1 2021, 88 % of provider facilities were fully open, with 10 % providing adjusted services, and 4 % using teleconsultation. Only 2 % remained completely closed. Majority of the providers (92 %) reported not experiencing any delays in TB testing in Q1 2021 compared to pre-COVID times. Only 6 % reported raising costs at their clinic, mostly to cover personal protective equipment (PPE) and other infection control measures, although 60–90 % implemented various infection control measures. Thirty-three percent of TB providers were ordering COVID-19 testing, in addition to TB testing. To adapt, 82% of survey providers implemented social distancing and increased timing between appointments and 83% started conducting temperature checks, with variation by state and provider type, while 89% adopted additional sanitation measures in their facilities. Furthermore, 62% of providers started using PPE, and 13% made physical changes (air filters, isolation of patient areas) to their clinic to prevent infection. Seventy percent of providers stated that infection control measures could decrease TB transmission. Conclusion Although COVID-19 restrictions resulted in significant declines in patient turn-out at private facilities, our analysis showed that most providers were open and costs for TB care remained mostly the same in Q1 2021. As result of the COVID-19 pandemic, several positive strategies have been adapted by the private sector TB care providers. Since the subsequent COVID-19 waves were more severe or widespread, additional work is needed to assess the impact of the pandemic on the private health sector.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Charity Oga-Omenka
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada.,School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Canada
| | | | - Lavanya Huria
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Canada
| | - Aakshi Kalra
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), India
| | | | | | - Nathali Gunawardena
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Canada
| | - Shekhar Raj
- Centre for Health Research and Innovation (CHRI), India
| | - Manjot Kaur
- TB PPM Learning Network, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Canada
| | - Angelina Sassi
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Canada
| | - Tripti Pande
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Sanjay Sarin
- Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), India
| | | | - Petra Heitkamp
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada.,TB PPM Learning Network, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Canada
| | - Jishnu Das
- McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Raghuram Rao
- Central TB Division, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, India
| | - Madhukar Pai
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Canada
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8
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Zimmer AJ, Klinton JS, Oga-Omenka C, Heitkamp P, Nawina Nyirenda C, Furin J, Pai M. Tuberculosis in times of COVID-19. J Epidemiol Community Health 2021; 76:310-316. [PMID: 34535539 PMCID: PMC8453591 DOI: 10.1136/jech-2021-217529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread disruptions to tuberculosis (TB) care and service delivery in 2020, setting back progress in the fight against TB by several years. As newer COVID-19 variants continue to devastate many low and middle-income countries in 2021, the extent of this setback is likely to increase. Despite these challenges, the TB community can draw on the comprehensive approaches used to manage COVID-19 to help restore progress and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on TB. Our team developed the ‘Swiss Cheese Model for Ending TB’ to illustrate that it is only through multisectoral collaborations that address the personal, societal and health system layers of care that we will end TB. In this paper, we examine how COVID-19 has impacted the different layers of TB care presented in the model and explore how we can leverage some of the lessons and outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic to strengthen the global TB response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Jaye Zimmer
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Joel Shyam Klinton
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,TB PPM Learning Network, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Charity Oga-Omenka
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Petra Heitkamp
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,TB PPM Learning Network, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Jennifer Furin
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Madhukar Pai
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada .,McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Zimmer AJ, Heitkamp P, Malar J, Dantas C, O'Brien K, Pandita A, Waite RC. Facility-based directly observed therapy (DOT) for tuberculosis during COVID-19: A community perspective. J Clin Tuberc Other Mycobact Dis 2021; 24:100248. [PMID: 34189276 PMCID: PMC8225462 DOI: 10.1016/j.jctube.2021.100248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the human rights issues of facility DOT. Transportation, stigma, fear of COVID, and restriction of liberties are barriers to facility DOT. Where possible, facility DOT should be replaced by vDOT and multi-month dispensing. Community-based DOT should be prioritized over facility-based DOT. People with TB must be empowered to participate in the TB response to enable a person-centred model of care.
Facility-based directly observed therapy (DOT) has been the standard for treating people with TB since the early 1990s. As the commitment to promote a people-centred model of care for TB grows, the use of facility-based DOT has been questioned as issues of freedom, privacy, and human rights have been raised. The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdown measures have fast-tracked the need to find alternative methods to provide treatment to people with TB. In this study, we present quantitative and qualitative findings from a global community-based survey on the challenges of administering facility-based DOT during a pandemic as well as potential alternatives. Our results found that decreased access to transportation, the fear of COVID-19, stigmatization due to overlapping symptoms, and punitive measures against quarantine violations have made it difficult for persons with TB to receive treatment at facilities, particularly in low-resource settings. Potential replacements included greater focus on community-based DOT, home delivery of treatment, multi-month dispensing, and video DOT strategies. Our study highlights the need for TB programs to re-evaluate their approach to providing treatment to people with TB, and that these changes must be made in consultation with people affected by TB and TB survivors to provide a true people-centred model of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra J. Zimmer
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada
- Corresponding author at: 1001 rue Decarie, Montreal, Quebec H4A 3J1, Canada.
| | - Petra Heitkamp
- McGill International TB Centre, Montreal, Canada
- TB PPM Learning Network, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Canada
| | | | | | - Kate O'Brien
- We are TB/National TB Controllers Association, Smryna, USA
| | - Aakriti Pandita
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, USA
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10
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Oga-Omenka C, Tseja-Akinrin A, Boffa J, Heitkamp P, Pai M, Zarowsky C. Commentary: Lessons from the COVID-19 global health response to inform TB case finding. Healthc (Amst) 2021; 9:100487. [PMID: 33607520 PMCID: PMC7580683 DOI: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2020.100487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a serious threat to global public health, demanding urgent action and causing unprecedented worldwide change in a short space of time. This disease has devastated economies, infringed on individual freedoms, and taken an unprecedented toll on healthcare systems worldwide. As of 1 April 2020, over a million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 204 countries and territories, resulting in more than 51,000 deaths. Yet, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, lies an older, insidious disease with a much greater mortality. Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death by a single infectious agent and remains a potent threat to millions of people around the world. We discuss the differences between the two pandemics at present, consider the potential impact of COVID-19 on TB case management, and explore the opportunities that the COVID-19 response presents for advancing TB prevention and control now and in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charity Oga-Omenka
- École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal (ESPUM), Canada; McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada; Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal (CReSP), Canada.
| | | | - Jody Boffa
- McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Rural Health, School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Petra Heitkamp
- McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada; TB PPM Learning Network, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Canada
| | - Madhukar Pai
- McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Canada
| | - Christina Zarowsky
- École de Santé Publique de l'Université de Montréal (ESPUM), Canada; Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal (CReSP), Canada; School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville South Africa, South Africa
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11
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Abstract
Health systems across the world have been baffled by the COVID19 pandemic. Tuberculosis (TB) care and prevention especially in high burden countries has faced disruption to their routine services. Though these setbacks were predicted by many modelling studies, reports and surveys from the field convey the hard reality faced by the TB services. However, health systems have not given up and have become resilient by adapting interesting strategies to overcome these obstacles. The private health sector has also stepped up to the occasion by supporting national TB programs through innovative approaches. The scientific community has laid down several evidence-based recommendations to help TB programs get back on track. Its time to unite these forces to not just overcome the challenge posed by the pandemic but also to build a more resilient health system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Shyam Klinton
- McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada
- TB PPM Learning Network, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Canada
| | - Charity Oga-Omenka
- McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada
- TB PPM Learning Network, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Canada
| | - Petra Heitkamp
- McGill International TB Center, Montreal, Canada
- TB PPM Learning Network, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Canada
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Kumaresan J, Heitkamp P, Smith I, Billo N. Global Partnership to Stop TB: a model of an effective public health partnership. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2004; 8:120-9. [PMID: 14974755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
SETTING The Global Partnership to Stop TB. OBJECTIVE To describe the need for a partnership, its development, its aims and how it goes about its business. RESULT The international health community finds itself working under new constraints and in the presence of new actors and opportunities, including globalisation, economic and cultural changes, lack of resources, and the need for intersectoral collaboration. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared tuberculosis a global emergency in 1993. However, political commitment to controlling the growing pandemic was lacking, and TB continued to exact its remorseless toll. The Global Partnership to Stop TB can be seen as the result of the development over the last century of progressively more powerful forms of international organisations against tuberculosis. An outline is given of the current Global Partnership to Stop TB, including its goals, its progress from values to achievements and how it functions through various bodies. CONCLUSION The Partnership is potentially an effective model for other public health issues. As such, it can contribute to and catalyse a new era of international cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kumaresan
- Stop TB Partnership Secretariat, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Heitkamp P. Promoting people's health: challenges and opportunities. Health Millions 1998; 24:3-5. [PMID: 12349582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2023]
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