The Mozambique Local TB Response Project started in September 2019 and is being implemented in 20 districts in 4 provinces of the country: Nampula, Zambézia, Sofala and Tete.
To start the activities, the project trained 20 area leaders who are the field supervisors and 400 activists, 20 per district, who ensure the direct implementation of activities in the field. After the training of community actors, the project effectively started with its community interventions last March and managed to reach about 14,391 people with various messages regarding Tuberculosis.
From this number, the project has screened 7,933 people and diagnosed 515 TB patients in all forms.
“The project has been implementing MISAU’s new strategy of providing psychosocial support to patients undergoing treatment for MR TB in Zambézia province, with a monthly grant of 540.00 Mt for transport support and some essential food in order to maintain the level of treatment adherence. At the community level, searches continue for patients with signs and symptoms of TB, their reference to the Health Units and the provision of Community DOT and DOT Plus to patients with sensitive TB and MR TB respectively” – explains Alberto Baptista Project Director.
Meanwhile, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the project decided to suspend some activities involving clusters of people (monthly cough days, collective lectures, training and training of groups of people). At the same time, the project has been reinforcing communication and dissemination of precautionary messages regarding this new disease.
The Mozambique Local TB Response project during the 5 years of implementation expects to reach about 1.5 million individuals with TB messages, screen 900,000 people for TB and contribute to increased reporting of TB cases in all forms from 52,385 TB cases in 2018 to 114,815 in 2024 in the 4 target provinces.
The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is implemented by a consortium of five organizations led by ADPP. In addition to ADPP, Kupulumussana, Kumussana, FHI360 and Dimagi are part of the consortium.