India has the highest burden of TB in the world. Global targets to end TB by 2030 will only be met if India plays its part - successfully treating 11.47 million people with TB, including 1.13 million children and 439,660 people with DR-TB; and initiating 6.9 million people on TB prevention therapy (TPT) by 2022.
India has rolled out its ambitious National Strategic Plan (NSP) to end TB in India by 2025. Five years before the global target. The iDEFEAT TB project will provide support to the National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) through technical assistance, capacity building, e-learning, bridging gaps with human resources and for other critical needs. While also leveraging funding from government, other donors and untapped resources including the private sector.
Project Goals
- Institutional strengthening of DR-TB care facilities through Centres of Excellence to support NTEP’s endeavours for patient-centred and quality-assured DR-TB care
- Strengthen TB institutions to support the NTEP’s efforts to improve the programmatic and clinical management of TB, DR-TB, paediatric TB, extra pulmonary TB (EPTB), latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and TPT
- Develop and scale-up digital and blended learning approaches to rapidly build the TB care and management capacity of NTEP staff
- Improve quality of TB care and programme management by engaging District TB program managers through a continuous quality improvement approach
- Invigorate corporate sector mobilisation for India’s TB response through the Corporate TB Pledge
Initiatives taken under the project
The project aims to undertake these 12 activities/interventions as part of its implementation:
- Technical assistance to NTEP - To establish a Technical Assistance Unit at the Central TB Division for change management and policy support
- Support NTEP with the introduction of new drugs and treatment regimens
- Institutional strengthening for DR-TB through the establishment of Centres of Excellence and link them to peripheral institutions
- Strengthening of State TB Demonstration and Training Centres
- Strengthening of District TB Centres (DTCs) through capacity building of District TB officers and DTC staff
- Strengthening of peripheral healthcare facilities through capacity building of the sub-district level health staff, community healthcare workers and volunteers
- Strengthening specimen collection and transport using mobile application and web platform
- Whole genome sequencing and DR-TB surveillance
- Supporting NTEP with engagement of private sector laboratories for TB diagnostic care
- Transforming conventional training approaches by building strategy and institutional systems for e-learning
- Institutionalising corporate sector engagement through the Corporate TB Pledge
- Strengthening supply chain management for TB laboratory commodities and TB drugs
Impact Figures
- Strengthening around 600 TB and DR-TB Care Institutions to support NTEP in making progress towards attainment of United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB targets
- Best practices and evidence documented and incorporated in to policy and practices
- Lessons learned, successful models and initiatives to be disseminated regionally and globally
Stakeholders
Implemented by The Union-led consortium, consisting of six other partners: Collaboration for Elimination of TB in India, ECHO India, Empower School of Health, Foundation for Medical Research, IQVIA and KNCV TB Foundation. Funding has been provided by USAID. The project is also a collaboration with the Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India.