PSI

PSI trains private general practitioners and healthcare providers in TB symptomatic screening, diagnosis and treatment through social franchise networks. Social franchise providers screen clients with cough for TB symptoms and then refer all TB suspects for laboratory diagnosis. Patients diagnosed with active TB receive an anti-TB treatment, known as DOTS - a directly observed therapy short-course. PSI follows up with patients throughout their treatment to encourage adherence to the regimen and to trace others who might also be at risk for the disease, encouraging them to undergo screening and treatment.

Using mass media campaigns and through community outreach activities, PSI increases community awareness of TB and the availability of quality DOTS services. PSI’s TB program in Myanmar was recently recognized by USAID and the WHO Stop TB Department as a best practice for a community based approach to combating the disease and as a model for engaging private providers in quality TB care.

PSI recognizes the link between TB and HIV, and has integrated symptomatic TB screening at all of its voluntary counseling and testing sites in Myanmar, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia. As part of their routine counseling, VCT counselors use a questionnaire to identify TB suspects who are then referred to DOTS services.

Archived in
Health Areas: Tuberculosis