Two days of training and re-orientation of field teams in Mutare, Manicaland province last week marked the start of the third year of The Union Zimbabwe office’s targeted screening of active tuberculosis (TB) among high risk communities. This activity is implemented by The Union’s sub-grantee Family Aids Trust (FACT) through Challenge TB and Global Fund co-funding. A total of 21 priority districts will be covered in 2018.
Targeted screening for TB in high risk communities aims to identify individuals with active TB disease early and initiate them on appropriate treatment to prevent further transmission and reduce adverse TB outcomes. Prioritised high risk groups are people living with HIV, contacts of TB patients, miners, health care workers, diabetics, the elderly, children under five years, people from overcrowded communities and those with poor access to TB services. The clients also get screened for HIV and diabetes which are important co-morbidities driving the TB epidemic in Zimbabwe. A holistic approach has been adopted to include non-communicable diseases through screening for hypertension, screening children for TB, conducting nutritional assessments and carrying out Body Mass Index as part of the revised screening algorithm.
The Union Zimbabwe office remains committed in working together with the National TB Programme to find the missing cases in the community.