As Humana People to People and its members mark World Tuberculosis Day, we are spotlighting the work of our Total Control of TB Program. The model delivers health services directly to hard-to-reach people, whether in the cities or rural areas.
Part of our programme model is to meet people at their doorstep with information about TB, provide them with the opportunity to receive TB screening, collect samples and deliver them to the laboratories for analysis.
This helps us treat people as early as possible and improves the provision of quality TB services and treatment achievement rates.
Humana People to People is implementing Total Control of TB Programs in Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea Bissau, Zimbabwe and Laos. Most of the programs are targeting early TB detection, referral for TB treatment, support for adherence treatment and care.
Several of the TB programs integrate creation of community network support linkages with health centres and investment in modern scientific equipment which help to detect resistant TB including Multi-Drug Resistant TB at local clinics and district hospitals.
Humana People to People is supporting the theme – “Invest to End TB. Save Lives” which conveys the urgency to invest in the provision of resources required to improve the fight against TB and achieve the commitments to end TB made by global leaders.
Talking about the progress of TB programs, Snorre Westgaard, Chairperson of Humana People to People said:
“Now more than ever, the world needs programmes that have been tried and tested in communities in Africa and Asia. The race to end the TB epidemic belongs to everyone, and the centre of our TB response program shows the success of models that are community-driven, people-centred and offer locally-led results.
“We put resources into the human capacity building – healthcare professionals and community project activists, infrastructure investment in advanced TB diagnostic machinery at local clinics and district hospitals, and creating synergies between communities and health institutions.”