Established in 2012 and coordinated by The Union Office in Myanmar and local partners, PICTS uses an extensive network of volunteers, including many people who have been treated for TB, to reach its goal: doubling the number of TB cases identified in Mandalay.
These volunteers are primarily drawn from of the People Affected by TB network. The programme has been responsible for identifying thousands of people with presumptive TB as well as then directly supporting the care and treatment services of the Ministry of Health. PICTS has assisted over 6,200 people for access to TB diagnosis and completed treatment.
The delivery of health services in the context of Myanmar is very challenging and the volunteer networks are essential for identify and treating TB. This ‘bottom up’ community approach, from training volunteers, facilitating sputum transport, to delivering counselling with knowledge and support sessions has been transformative in case detection and treatment and then also the prevention of TB transmission with contact tracing in families and the wider community.
This unique approach has been extremely successful in TB case detection in Myanmar, allowing personally engaged members of the community to share their experiences and knowledge of TB with others.
PICTS has been able to double the TB case detection rates through this mobilisation of the networks of over 300-trained volunteers.
PICTS is supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
3 million
people covered by PICTS
36,470
community health talks about TB
64,260
people referred for TB testing
6,281
people diagnosed and completed TB treatment