Engaging private providers to enhance tuberculosis detection and notification: evidence from TB REACH-Supported projects

Abstract Background Private providers (PPs), rather than public facilities, are often the first point of contact in the health system for people with tuberculosis (TB). However, PP’s potential for enhancing TB detection remains underutilized. Methods TB REACH is an initiative of Stop TB Partnership...

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Main Authors: Md. Toufiq Rahman, William A. Wells, Oriol Ramis, Vishnu V. Kamineni, Mirjam I. Bakker, Sode Matiku, Miranda Brouwer, Jacob Creswell
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:BMC Public Health
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21806-4
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author Md. Toufiq Rahman
William A. Wells
Oriol Ramis
Vishnu V. Kamineni
Mirjam I. Bakker
Sode Matiku
Miranda Brouwer
Jacob Creswell
author_facet Md. Toufiq Rahman
William A. Wells
Oriol Ramis
Vishnu V. Kamineni
Mirjam I. Bakker
Sode Matiku
Miranda Brouwer
Jacob Creswell
author_sort Md. Toufiq Rahman
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Private providers (PPs), rather than public facilities, are often the first point of contact in the health system for people with tuberculosis (TB). However, PP’s potential for enhancing TB detection remains underutilized. Methods TB REACH is an initiative of Stop TB Partnership focused on improving TB detection and notification. We analyzed the results of interventions using private provider engagement (PPE) to impact TB detection and notification across four TB REACH funding waves from May 2018 through March 2022. Results Overall, 35 projects documented screening of 13,038,586 people for TB, referral of 384,364 (3% of those screened) for diagnostic testing, and testing of 332,266 (86%) people. In total, 64,456 all forms of TB were diagnosed, and 62,830 (97% of those diagnosed) were linked to treatment. To diagnose one person with TB, the overall number needed to screen and test was, respectively, 281 (range across projects: 2–8,705) and 7 (range across projects: 1–24). Twenty-five projects mapped 69,187 PPs, both formal and informal, and engaged 21,206 (31%) providers during the intervention period, 12,211 (58%) of whom actively referred at least one person with TB symptoms during the intervention period. During the implementation period, TB notifications in the intervention areas increased by 25% (n = 61,123; from 246,845 to 307,968), with 20% of the total TB notifications attributed to the PPE projects. The mean and median cost per person started on treatment through the PPE projects was USD 221 and USD 481 (range across projects: 23 − 8,689). Conclusions Our findings suggest that structured and targeted PPE enhances TB case finding and contribute in closing the gap of missing cases. These results emphasize the need for wider implementation and scale-up of PPE in the TB response.
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spelling doaj-art-bca2dbb97a224c32893a814e097868f22025-08-20T03:13:15ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-02-0125111310.1186/s12889-025-21806-4Engaging private providers to enhance tuberculosis detection and notification: evidence from TB REACH-Supported projectsMd. Toufiq Rahman0William A. Wells1Oriol Ramis2Vishnu V. Kamineni3Mirjam I. Bakker4Sode Matiku5Miranda Brouwer6Jacob Creswell7Innovations & Grants Team, Stop TB PartnershipUnited States Agency for International DevelopmentIndependent consultantIndependent consultantKIT Royal Tropical Institute, Global HealthNew Dimension Consulting (T)PHTB ConsultInnovations & Grants Team, Stop TB PartnershipAbstract Background Private providers (PPs), rather than public facilities, are often the first point of contact in the health system for people with tuberculosis (TB). However, PP’s potential for enhancing TB detection remains underutilized. Methods TB REACH is an initiative of Stop TB Partnership focused on improving TB detection and notification. We analyzed the results of interventions using private provider engagement (PPE) to impact TB detection and notification across four TB REACH funding waves from May 2018 through March 2022. Results Overall, 35 projects documented screening of 13,038,586 people for TB, referral of 384,364 (3% of those screened) for diagnostic testing, and testing of 332,266 (86%) people. In total, 64,456 all forms of TB were diagnosed, and 62,830 (97% of those diagnosed) were linked to treatment. To diagnose one person with TB, the overall number needed to screen and test was, respectively, 281 (range across projects: 2–8,705) and 7 (range across projects: 1–24). Twenty-five projects mapped 69,187 PPs, both formal and informal, and engaged 21,206 (31%) providers during the intervention period, 12,211 (58%) of whom actively referred at least one person with TB symptoms during the intervention period. During the implementation period, TB notifications in the intervention areas increased by 25% (n = 61,123; from 246,845 to 307,968), with 20% of the total TB notifications attributed to the PPE projects. The mean and median cost per person started on treatment through the PPE projects was USD 221 and USD 481 (range across projects: 23 − 8,689). Conclusions Our findings suggest that structured and targeted PPE enhances TB case finding and contribute in closing the gap of missing cases. These results emphasize the need for wider implementation and scale-up of PPE in the TB response.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21806-4TuberculosisPrivate providersTB REACHTB detectionNotificationEngagement strategies
spellingShingle Md. Toufiq Rahman
William A. Wells
Oriol Ramis
Vishnu V. Kamineni
Mirjam I. Bakker
Sode Matiku
Miranda Brouwer
Jacob Creswell
Engaging private providers to enhance tuberculosis detection and notification: evidence from TB REACH-Supported projects
BMC Public Health
Tuberculosis
Private providers
TB REACH
TB detection
Notification
Engagement strategies
title Engaging private providers to enhance tuberculosis detection and notification: evidence from TB REACH-Supported projects
title_full Engaging private providers to enhance tuberculosis detection and notification: evidence from TB REACH-Supported projects
title_fullStr Engaging private providers to enhance tuberculosis detection and notification: evidence from TB REACH-Supported projects
title_full_unstemmed Engaging private providers to enhance tuberculosis detection and notification: evidence from TB REACH-Supported projects
title_short Engaging private providers to enhance tuberculosis detection and notification: evidence from TB REACH-Supported projects
title_sort engaging private providers to enhance tuberculosis detection and notification evidence from tb reach supported projects
topic Tuberculosis
Private providers
TB REACH
TB detection
Notification
Engagement strategies
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21806-4
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