In 2012, The Union collaborated with Myanmar's National TB Programme on a TB REACH project called PICTS (Program to Increase Catchment of TB Suspects), which was designed to improve TB case detection and to increase new bacteriologically confirmed TB cases in seven townships of Mandalay region.
One of the innovative aspects of PICTS has been its extensive use of volunteers, who are organised into networks in each of the seven townships. The Union recruited 210 individual TB volunteers and trained them to take part in a variety of activities related to "intensive case finding" – one of the 3 Is. The networks were established to increase the impact of the volunteers, and The Union supported their development, including providing training in financial and organisational management. Each network has its own name and leadership structure; and leaders call meetings biweekly to plan upcoming activities and discuss challenges and opportunities.
The volunteer networks have assisted in building community awareness by holding health education (HE sessions) and special outreach programmes (SOP) for institutions and groups, such as schools and factories. Over the course of the year, they put on an average of 172 HE sessions and 20 SOPs per month in their own communities.
In addition, the volunteers have helped with transporting sputum samples, served as hosts at sputum collection centres, followed up people who might have sputum-negative TB, served as DOTS providers and participated in tracing contacts of TB patients.
U OhnKyaw, the TB volunteer network leader for Aung Myay Tharzan township, said "After facing challenges and gaining experience when a family member suffered from tuberculosis, I have decided that my generations must live in a world free from that dreadful disease called tuberculosis. And this is the main reason we (members from TB volunteer networks) work for our own community in fighting against TB."
 |
 |
| A volunteer holds a special outreach programme in a factory | A volunteer shows a man how to produce a good-quality sputum sample |
 |
 |
| A volunteer distributes IEC materials | Volunteers help with mobile clinics, such as this one held in a monastery, which was organised by the township medical officer (TMO) |
-
Photos: The Union in Myanmar Office