The first pillar of the WHO strategy to end tuberculosis (TB) calls for integrated, patient-centered TB care and prevention. The aim of this recommendation is to encourage those involved in the fight against TB to extend their efforts beyond the disease itself, and to take care of the TB patient as a whole. In other words, the aim is to embrace a holistic approach that goes beyond drug treatment, to also take into consideration the various determinants that underpin the disease. In this spirit, social protection measures play an important role in the fight against TB, because through TB-sensitive and TB-specific measures, they help to reduce poverty, malnutrition and other barriers encountered by TB patients in their care. In order to revitalize this component in West and Central Africa, WHO/TDR is providing technical and financial support for the implementation of operational research studies on various social protection measures for TB patients in various National TB Programs (NTP) in the region.
Find summaries of these studies below.
BURKINA FASO : Evaluation of a support strategy for patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis
General objective : Evaluate support strategy for MDR-TB patients. Specific objectives : Method : The support for TB patients implemented in the country includes food (partnership between NTP and shopkeepers), travel expenses (mobile transfer by NTP) and hygiene kits (distribution by NTP). A retrospective and prospective cohort study, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, was carried out on a national scale. Progress : The study has been finalized and the results shared with the relevant authorities. A scientific article is currently being written.
BENIN : Testing an improved Extra-Medical Management of Tuberculosis Patients
General objective :Evaluate the effectiveness of the social protection program for TB patients treated at CNHU-PPC in 2024. Specific objectives : Describe the effectiveness of a social protection program on the psychological and nutritional status of TB patients; Describe the effectiveness of a social protection program on the quality of life of TB patients and their families; Describe the effectiveness of a social protection program on TB treatment compliance;Describe the effectiveness of a social protection program on the socio-professional reintegration of TB