As the saying goes “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. In other words, the best way to be well is to avoid getting sick in the first place. In countries with high rates of TB infection, infants are often given the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine, (BCG). If you have active TB disease, you must get treated right away.
TB infection prevention and control is another way of preventing TB and promoting health and it includes a set of ranked interventions to reduce the risk of TB transmission, both in healthcare, community and household settings.
Community Engagement
Community-based TB activities are conducted outside the premises of formal health facilities i.e. hospitals, health centre and clinics in community-based structures (schools, places of worship, congregate settings) and homesteads.
In any society, rich or poor, TB tends to impact heavily on the poorest and most marginalized groups: migrant communities, substance and alcohol abuse, persons with mental health issues, the homeless and those in poor quality housing.
Advocacy and Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis advocacy has changed the disease from a silent epidemic to one with many voices that seek increased political will and investment in research.
Tuberculosis advocacy has gained strength as a mechanism to improve research, increase access to new methods and technology to fight tuberculosis, and involve communities in policy and programmatic decisions.
Human Rights and Gender
The highlight of human rights barriers related to TB has increased awareness towards programming for human rights-based approaches to TB. This unit prioritizes patient-centred care approach, promoting community-based care that is accessible, well accepted by patients, and promotes adherence in order to promote a human rights-based approach.
The Gender component focuses on ensuring men are prioritized since they are most affected as well as women and children who are disproportionally affected due to TB facing greater discrimination.
Multisectoral Accountability Framework (MAF)
Under this function, the section is tasked with;
- Development of the MAF concept note, and document
- Bringing together all stakeholders in discussing strategies to End TB in the context of MAF
- Launching of the MAF document and final dissemination
