This report describes an improvement activity in El Alto, Bolivia, designed to improve treatment compliance among TB patients by assuring a full dedicated treatment course. This was achieved by organizing medicines in a box reserved for each patients and by improving logistical management of medications at the health network level. This report is also available in Spanish.

Este informe corto describe una mejora ejecutada en Cochabamba, Bolivia, para reducir el número de muestras de saliva que son inútiles para diagnosticar la tuberculosis a través de cambios al proceso de solicitar muestras de esputo y otras técnicas para ayudar a los pacientes a producir una buena muestra de esputo. El informe está disponible también en inglés.

The MDR-TB online community is a discussion forum covering all issues related to multi- and extensively-drug resistant TB. Users can seek information about and share clinical, programmatic and community-level information about early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of M/XDR-TB.

The TB CARE II project site introduces promising new resources to fight TB and share information about successful interventions at the country, regional, or global levels, and shares information about project resources, events, and opportunities for collaboration with TB implementing partners around the world. This site allows TB CARE II project partners, collaborating organizations, TB professionals and the general public to access information regarding recent project updates and newly developed tools and resources from different field support and core activities. For new partners and staff as well as potential collaborators, the site provides an overview of the TB CARE II project, objectives, key staff, partners, and contacts as well as links to other TB-related news and information sources.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer a number of evidence-based guidelines and tools for delivering high quality TB care.  These tools are available for download in English from the CDC Tuberculosis Publications and Products web page at the link provided below.  Topics covered include contact investigations, TB control, drug-resistant TB, infection control and prevention, laboratory, TB-HIV, TB in specific populations, TB testing and diagnosis , treatment, and TB immunization.   

The Stop TB Partnership (formerly the Stop TB Initiative) is a network of international organizations, countries, donors from the public and private sectors, governmental and nongovernmental organizations and individuals committed to working together to eliminate TB as a public health problem. 

The increasing number of cases of TB associated with HIV infection in Swaziland has greatly increased the demands on TB and HIV treatment programs. Swaziland has an estimated TB incidence of 1,155 cases per 100,000 population per year (nearly a six-fold increase compared to a 1990 level of 267), while the incidence among the infectious sputum smear positive cases tripled within the same period. To better inform the NTP on magnitude and risk factors, Women Together, SWANEPHA and HCI carried out intensified case finding that targeted PLWHIV and their households. The setting was eVembili, a rural constituency. An HIV-positive member of the Women Together PLWHIV group was the index case for whom household members were enrolled. A standard checklist was used to record symptoms and their duration, risk factors, and results from sputum smear and x-ray examinations. Participants were classified as either TB suspect or case or Not TB. Results were confidentially communicated to each participant, who was given appropriate medical advice, treatment or referral. Ethical clearance obtained from the national Scientific and Ethics Review Board, participation was voluntary, and informed consent was sought. Intensified case-finding helps identify TB suspects and risk factors for TB common among PLWHIV and household members in local settings and inform strategies for community TB screening, health education and household infection control. Of the 111 study subjects, 34 (30.6%) were HIV-positive, 20 (18%) were HIV-negative, and 57(51.4%) had unknown HIV status. Sputum samples were requested on all 111 study subjects; however, only 69 cases (62.1%) provided sputum samples. Of the 69 samples, one was saliva but still tested AFB-positive, one sample was AFB-positive, and 67 samples were AFB-negative. All 111 subjects were interviewed with the checklist on common TB symptoms and risk factors. The most common TB symptom reported by study participants was noticeable weight loss (reported by 37.4% of subjects), followed by persistent cough (over two weeks) (reported by 36.9%), night sweats (reported by 36.9%), malaise (30.6%), fever (27.0%) and loss of appetite (20.7%). Recommendations: • Active case-finding and household contact tracing should be implemented as a package of care for HIV-positives • Partnerships with local HIV support groups in intensified case-finding is an effective strategy to identify TB suspects and TB cases in communities with high TB/HIV co-infection.