CIDRZ’s USAID TBLON Initiative Enhances TB Management through Quality Improvement Training for Health Workers.

The USAID Tuberculosis Local Organisation Network (TBLON) project implemented by the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) recently conducted a quality improvement training and awareness initiative for health workers to enhance the quality of tuberculosis (TB) services in the Copperbelt Province.

The health workers expressed their appreciation for the training, citing the opportunity it offered to share best practices and the various strategies implemented by different facilities to improve TB case detection and management.

Susan Tembo, TB coordinator at Ipusukilo Clinic in Kitwe, highlighted her facility’s proactive approach, which involves a dedicated committee comprising local community leaders.

“The committee led by community leaders diligently monitors and supports clients who have become disconnected from TB treatment efforts,” Susan explained.

Other facilities also emphasised the necessity for continuous medical education, on-the-job mentorship, and supportive supervision.

Meanwhile, Kitwe District Health Office Principal Clinical Care Officer Dr Odimba Marie-Josee emphasised the importance of healthcare workers engaging in critical discussions to serve the community better.

She emphasised that “effectively addressing TB in Kitwe translates to effectively addressing it nationwide in Zambia.”

During the training, USAID TBLON Regional TB Technical Lead Dr David Singini outlined the project’s goal to significantly reduce the TB burden in Copperbelt Province through comprehensive interventions.

Dr Singini explained that by supporting Ministry of Health’s efforts to improve TB case detection and management, the TBLON project aligned itself with national and global targets to eliminate TB as a public health threat by 2030.