25th September 2024, Harare, Zimbabwe – A local four-member consortium led by the Union Zimbabwe Trust (UZT) has today drawn the curtain in concluding a $USD15 million United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported Kunda-Nqob’iTB (KN-TB) programme that has run its course for the last 5 years since October 2019.
The KN-TB programme, implemented across eight priority districts (Gweru, Kwekwe, Shurugwi, Chirumhanzu, Zvishavane, Gwanda, Insiza, Mwenezi) sought to find missed persons with TB and linking them to care. The programme was a Cooperative Agreement between USAID and the Union Zimbabwe Trust (UZT) as part of a global initiative to end TB through funding local institutions under the TB Local Organization Network.
The KN-TB support was multi-pronged, focusing on health systems strengthening through technical assistance and building capacity among healthcare workers. The programme also supported community related interventions in TB case finding, prevention and patient support through a network of close to 1,000 community health workers. Palliative Care was integrated into the primary health care delivery system for TB to optimize treatment outcomes. Through community health workers, close to 1,1 million community members were reached with TB-HIV messages and screened for TB, contributing to the detection of over 13,800 persons with TB across the supported districts. Treatment outcomes for diagnosed TB patients improved from a baseline of 78% Treatments success rate to 90% by Year 5.
In the spirit of “leaving no one and no place behind”, marginalized and often stigmatized population groups, such as artisanal small-scale miners (ASMs) were intentionally reached with screening services for TB, HIV and silicosis (a risk factor for developing active TB disease), at their workplace and designated specialized supported clinics. Over the project life cycle, close to 14,500 ASMs were reached, with over 1,000 and close to 3,000 diagnosed with TB and silicosis respectively.
The KN-TB Chief of Party, Dr Ronald Thulani Ncube acknowledges the USAID investment, noting the indelible footprint of the programme over the last 5-years.
“The consortium is grateful to USAID for the generous and timely support, that enabled a collaborative response between the Ministry of Health and Child Care, consortium partners and relevant players that had a stake in addressing real concerns in the national response,” Dr Ncube says.
“We look back with a sense of accomplishment as we retrace an eventful journey over the last 5-years, a testament to the strength of partnership, innovation and unwavering commitment in the fight to end TB in Zimbabwe.”
The Deputy Director TB and Prevention Control, Dr Fungai Kavenga recognises the contribution of the KN-TB project in the national TB response.
“The KN-TB project contributed significantly in reducing the TB incidence in the country, from as high as 242 per 100 000 population to 204 per 100 000 by 2022. It also contributed to reducing the burden of HIV among TB patients from 62% in 2015 to 50% in 2023. With such investments, we strongly believe the country is on track to end TB by 2030.”
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For more information contact:
The Union Zimbabwe Trust Communications and Liaison Officer: Jesilyn Dendere, jdendere@uzt.org.zw 0782 078 675
Ministry of Health and Child Care | AIDS & TB Unit Advocacy and Communications Officer: Andrew Nyambo, andrewnyambo@gmail.com
