Project: "Be aware on tuberculosis!”

Goal:  Active TB detection among internally displaced persons, persons in poor living conditions with low income and alcohol abuse from Luhansk, Donetsk oblasts, Kharkiv city and and most-at-risk population living in “gray zone” population.

The project is implemented in collaboration with local level social service providers, primary healthcare facilities and TB hospitals.

Period of implementation: 01.2018 - 12.2020.

Target groups

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) – persons who were forced to escape or leave their homes in the result of the armed conflict at the East of Ukraine and the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and being displaced within the boundaries of Ukraine. The project targets at most-at-need IDPs, who are living in either shelters/collective centers, or in poor living conditions and thus having higher risk of TB infection.  

Persons in poor living conditions with low income and alcohol abuse – persons who have been identified by social workers as low income earners and practice alcohol abuse (by WHO alcohol test audit).

Persons living at territories close to the contact line (population of the “gray zone”) of Bakhmut, Mariupol and Stanytsia Luhanska rayons.

During the first two years of the project, screening testing for tuberculosis was carried out for 104 496 people. It is planned to reach another 75,000 persons by 2020.

The project activities are focused at those most-at risk groups, who are poor, continued living at the territories close to the contact line (at the so-called “grey zone”) as well as those in major cities of Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts applied for assistance to the local social service providers.

As per the results of 2019 TB screening: every 5th client of the project report having at least three TB symptoms in the result of the screening.

Project activities inlcudes:

- establishing a referral system and developing an effective interaction algorithm between local communities and health facilities to facilitate access to TB diagnosis and treatment for the vulnerable population in territorial communities of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and Kharkiv;

- support of on-site and mobile multidisciplinary teams to ensure access on a day-to-day basis of internally displaced people and other vulnerable population to be screened for TB symptoms, thus establishing active TB case finding in project areas;

- improve access of vulnerable population to GeneXpert as the first test for TB;

- sharing project’s activities experience: LHSI highlights results of activites on website and social networks. Besides, regional specialists will give a report about project’s activities on a regional HIV/AIDS and TB meetings.

Funding: Global Fund to Fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria through principal recipient Alliance for Public Health.