As the world rallies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, many factors are threatening other serious, preexisting, high-mortality diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB). The risk of resource detour, staff shortages and service disruption faced by TB control stakeholders in this particular context, highlights the need to develop new, more appropriate strategies to mitigate the potential impact of COVID-19 on TB control.
With this in mind, the Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), in partnership with the Access and Delivery Partnership Project (ADP), the Damien Foundation and The Union, have undertaken to support National Tuberculosis Programs (NTPs) across West and Central Africa to conduct operational research (OR) on strategies to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on TB control efforts.
Indeed, in early May 2020, a call for letters of interest was issued through the West and Central African Regional Network for Tuberculosis Control (WARN-TB/CARN-TB). This call resulted in 20 submissions from NTPs and their research partners in the region, 11 of which were selected after competitive evaluation for support. Proposals from Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo are currently being supported.
The selected proposals will implement a variety of new and innovative approaches to ensure the continuity of tuberculosis control services throughout COVID-19. Among other things, the use of digital technologies and the decentralization of TB services to the community will be tested. These studies will be used to develop strategies that can be deployed more rapidly should the region face a new health emergency in the future.