DAPP Total Control of Tuberculosis is empowering every individual to fight TB and HIV through repeated mobilisation, information dissemination, education and basic counselling at their doorstep.
The program uses its unique strategy of mobilising people to know their HIV status, TB screening as well as collecting sputum from the door step to the lab and bringing the results back to the household. This strategy has reached many people who ordinarily would not actively seek out knowledge or treatment of TB.
“When I visit the people at their door step, they are happy to disclose their health challenges and it becomes easier to assist them. This is because sometimes people might take time to decide to visit the clinics when they are not feeling well and in other instances if they are coughing they think of taking home remedies instead of visiting the clinic for TB screening in time, even though they know their HIV status” ,said Joseph the Field Officer.
Giving information, mobilising people for HIV testing, TB screening ,collecting sputum as well as giving feedback of the results is done at door step. Once someone presents with TB referal slips are given to visit the nearest health facility.
This main strategy is effective as compared to other strategies because enough time is taken with an individual to discuss confidential information. The beneficiary can easily decide and get immediate help and is directed to the right service providers by the Field Officer. The Field Officer and the community volunteers provide educative information on TB/HIV to people in the comfort of their homes.
They collect sputum samples and bring results to the doorstep/ In the case where an individual presents with TB the Field Officer offers support through monitoring treament through the Direct Observed Treatment (DOT).
Field Officers go further to form TRIOs for treatment adherence and monitoring.
In order to effectively deliver results and cover more ground the Field Officer join hands with trained community volunteers who go door to door step providig one on one counselling in order to identify health problems and refer to health service providers.
Results from the programme implementation can be quickly and easily tracked through the use of data standardized monitoring and evaluation data collection tools and analysed. Decisions are made quickly and actions are taken to control the TB and HIV.
No one is left behind when using the door to door strategy in the Makoni district and the nation at large.