The CETA project aims to contribute to the elimination of tuberculosis in Africa by 2035.
Launched in October 2019, the project supports national tuberculosis programmes (NTPs) in eight countries with TB screening and prevention, improving healthcare delivery and strengthening the governance of these NTPs.
The project builds on The Union’s many years of work supporting TB efforts in the eight countries covered: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Central African Republic, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
The CETA project works to create a network of African experts who support each other and have ongoing access to the expertise of The Union, through workshops, courses, conference and online resources to continue to improve the care offered to people with or at risk of TB.
This project is funded by the Agence Française de Développement.
Screening and prevention
The first approach aims to improve TB screening and prevention with a particular focus on improving access to care for vulnerable populations, such as people living with HIV and children under five years. Using contact investigation to help with the early detection of active TB, allowing those diagnosed to be treated quickly, and anyone in close contact to be given preventive therapy to stop the spread of the disease.
The kick-off meeting took place virtually on 30 July 2020, with the eight NTP managers and several partners (including Alliance Côte d'Ivoire, DRAF TB, Global Fund, WHO Global TB Programme, WHO TDR). From the meeting to June 2021, the following activities began:
- 150 Basic Management Units (BMUs) identified across the eight countries
- 415 nurses and community health workers were trained to work in the BMUs
- 1,211 home visits were carried out which resulted in 1,806 children under 5 years and 56 people living with HIV being placed on TB preventive treatment (TPT)
Improving healthcare delivery
The second supports NTPs to improve healthcare delivery by improving case management of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), and better integrating TB into the country’s national health system, in order to reduce missed opportunities for TB diagnosis during unrelated health checks.
