Social Distancing Should Not Bump Social Participation In UHC For Elimination Of TB By 2030

Re-adjust the way we go to grassroots to conduct health work and livelihood improvement activities. We were anticipating social distancing protocols in place. Diagnosis, prevention, testing, adherence and committed enablers are all about people. We have to identify needs, connect people to opportunities that make them productive. Self-preservation is key. We are a 400 strong Community Owned Resource Persons/Champions advancing quality life. We reach out to 120 communities and between August 2019 to present we have identified 177 TB cases and attached them to TB care. We provide contexts within which adherence and commitment are enshrined. This means keeping in touch and regular administrative meetings as well as reading widely on TB Prevention. We developed what we call our TB Prevention profile after deliberations of TB Prevention/Control Profile Planning Meetings.

At the end of the day:

Anyone, refugees, local communities and leaders will be directly involved as Champions or Community Owned Resource Persons (CORPs) and beneficiaries; there will be increased treatment coverage; TB, HIV, Malaria treatment success rate; Preventive treatment coverage; TB, HIV, Malaria affected households or communities facing catastrophic costs will be reduced; uptake of new diagnosis and new drugs increased. When it comes to TB, our model meets the Advocacy; Baseline preparedness; and collaboration (ABC) strategies. When it comes to HIV/AIDS, our model meets the testing, treatment and viral suppression cascade strategy. When it comes to malaria, our model meets the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment strategy. Even as we face COVID19 it should not stop us from keeping the focus on TB, HIV and other morbidities.

Remember to stick to:

a. a prevention plan

b. Strategies in place for TB, HIV, Malaria Prevention

c. Strategic TB Control cascades

d. National TB Control cascades

e. Motivating Peer Mobilizers

1. Mission and main focus of work of your organization

We advance UHC through planned mobilization, organize and connect communities to care, prevention and activities to eradicate TB, HIV and Malaria by 2030.

2. Strategic TB/HIV/Malaria Prevention

We use social marketing to leverage social participation in callings such as: UHC, SDGs and Elimination of Violence in communities and TB/HIV/Malaria Prevention. We are engaged in case finding, promoting testing, adherence, viral load suppression practices and ensuring all opportunistic infections are treated including TB.

3. Strategic TB control

We are involved in reaching out and raising TB control awareness in vulnerable communities; implementing UHC goal; case finding; encouraging taking medication until cure; implement activities in community care, diagnostics, laboratories, DOTS Expansion, drug provision, emergency relief, MDR-TB, TB/HIV and Shelter or safe space services.

4. Contributing to Uganda's national TB control plan:

This includes: raising awareness around National TB Services; access; control; and management of TB. Through working with 400 anti-TB Champions, we have linked 120 grassroots communities and 177 TB clients to care.

5. Motivating Peer Mobilizers:

This includes: Forming CBOs and training the members in group dynamic skills, community organization and capacity building to make the CBOs registrable entities. Training 400 anti-TB Champions, social mapping exercises in the 120 grassroots communities to improve intimate immersion skills and working with the 177 TB clients as a way of enshrining adherence and sustained support to cure TB.

This is the model we want to build and hopefully maintain for the next ten years.