Join PATH at the Union World Conference on Lung Health 2022
During the Union World Conference on Lung Health 2022, PATH will showcase our continued commitment to advancing TB care through patient-centered innovations and systems-level advancements.
In 2020, tuberculosis (TB) deaths increased for the first time in ten years, due to the disruption of essential TB care during the COVID-19 pandemic. TB is now the second deadliest infectious disease after COVID-19, and the thirteenth leading cause of global deaths. The theme of the November 8-11 virtual 2022 Union Conference, Combating pandemics: Today and tomorrow, calls on the global TB community to learn from COVID-19’s impact on TB care and invest in advancing resilient health systems that enable us to address ongoing pandemics, like TB, while remaining primed to tackle future challenges.
Building integrated and resilient primary health care (PHC) systems that cater to all the needs of each person affected by TB requires advancing innovative, person-centered approaches to TB screening, diagnosis, and treatment. This is needed now, more than ever. During the conference, PATH will share best practices and lessons from our global work advancing tailored, context-specific approaches to TB detection and care, while also strengthening the systems and infrastructure required to sustain infectious disease management and prevention.
PATH speakers will describe patient-centered approaches implemented at the PHC level that include expanding the use of digital adherence technologies in India and Ukraine, implementing treatment “buddy” and facility-level mentorship programs in Zambia, and training social workers involved in TB patient psychosocial support in Ukraine to add active case finding to their job duties. We will also highlight PATH’s systems-level work, ranging from geospatial analyses and diagnostic network assessments to strengthen diagnostic networks in Vietnam and Tanzania, systematizing specimen tracking through improved transportation and laboratory management systems in Ukraine and India, and building national and regional capacity for pharmacovigilance, active drug safety monitoring, and drug supply forecasting in Central Asia. Finally, we highlight our far-reaching work in Ukraine to deliver integrated TB and COVID-19 detection, prevention, and treatment during the humanitarian crisis caused by the ongoing war.
See below for a full schedule of PATH’s symposia, oral presentations, and posters at the conference.
- Symposia
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SP-34: Providing TB care in conflict settings: an overview of global guidance and lessons from Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Ukraine
Live session: Friday, November 11; 9:00 – 10:20 AM UTC-4 (Channel 3)
Building resilient health systems is critical to withstand shocks from conflicts and other external pressures. A shock can weaken the national health system directly (e.g., due to looting and the destruction of health facilities), by modifying community-level service supply and demand (e.g., due to the increase in water-borne diseases, TB, malnutrition), and by impacting the social determinants of health. The impact of such shocks is particularly visible on programmes with measurable indicators of change such as national TB programmes. Over the last few years, a combination of natural disasters, COVID-19 and conflicts have impacted the national health systems of many countries worldwide; however, the impact was more devastating in some countries, while others performed well despite multiple shocks. In this session, we will 1) review the existing global guidance on how to provide TB services in humanitarian settings; and 2) share lessons from countries that have been affected by conflicts and other shocks.
This symposium will feature Natasha Deyanova presenting on challenges faced by the Ukrainian TB programme during the ongoing war.
SP-37: Vulnerability and resilience of tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 cure and care services in military and humanitarian crisis conditions: experience of USAID/PATH support to Ukraine
Live session: Friday, November 11; 10:30 – 11:50 AM UTC-4 (Channel 3)
Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine came on the heels of several waves of COVID-19, coupled with an ongoing, complex reform of the Ukrainian healthcare system and transformation of TB service delivery. Due to the military crisis and the resulting complex humanitarian emergency, TB and COVID-19 prevention and care services have been drastically affected and have had to be adapted to address the damage and destruction of infrastructure and systems, health worker shortages, and mass migration and displacement both within and outside of Ukraine. Health systems recovery will involve the intersection of post-pandemic, post-conflict, and health reform priorities. Given Ukraine's unique experience in maintaining the availability of TB services and treatment adherence for people affected by TB under wartime conditions, the lessons learnt, and strategies shared in this session can be applied in other settings facing humanitarian crises or conflicts of similar magnitude.
This symposium, co-chaired by PATH and USAID, will feature Kateryna Gamazina, Olga Pavlova, Gunta Dravniece, and Roman Rodyna from PATH’s Ukraine team.
- Oral presentations
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OA02-214-08: Civil society advocacy interventions to ensure sustainable funding for comprehensive TB care package in Ukraine
Session: OA02 Strengthening national- and global policies: lessons learntWhen: Tuesday, November 8th; 5:00 – 6:20 AM UTC-4 (specifically 5:53 – 6:01 AM UTC-4)
Where: Channel 4
Presenter: Svitlana Okromeshko
OA04-230-08: Digital adherence monitoring of TB treatment in Ukraine: analysis of adherence levels and patient-provider communication before and during the war in Ukraine
Session: OA04 Integrated care – how it helps in improving accessWhen: Tuesday, November 8th; 6:30 – 7:50 AM UTC-4 (specifically 7:23 – 7:31 AM UTC-4)
Where: Channel 3
Presenter: Natasha Deyanova
OA11-281-09: Engaging local non-government organizations to scale up active case-finding
Session: OA11 Expanding active case finding in vulnerable populations
When: Wednesday, November 9th; 5:00 – 6:20 AM UTC-4 (specifically 5:53 – 6:01 UTC-4)
Where: Channel 2
Presenter: Svitlana Okromeshko
OA24-373-10: Improved TB treatment outcomes by buddying TB patients with community-based volunteers in 24 high TB burden districts, Zambia
Session: OA24 Person-centered care: how new technologies can supportWhen: Thursday, November 10; 10:30 – 11:50 AM UTC-4 (specifically 10:43 – 10:51 AM UTC-4)
Where: Channel 1
Presenter: Peter Chungulo (Lisa Mueller as Q&A panelist)
OA29-412-11: Boosting TB awareness in Ukraine by synergizing TV and web-based interventions amid COVID-19 recovery
Session: OA29 Innovative responses to airborne pandemicsWhen: Friday, November 11; 6:30 – 7:50 AM UTC-4 (specifically 6:59 – 7:07 AM UTC-4)
Where: Channel 2
Presenter: Olga Pavlova
OA34-447-11: Facility-based TB Champions improve childhood TB diagnosis: Experience from six Eradicate TB project-supported provinces, Zambia
Session: OA34 Important topics in child lung healthWhen: Friday, November 11; 10:30 AM – 11:50 AM UTC-4 (specifically 10:35 – 10:43 AM UTC-4)
Where: Channel 5
Presenter: Given Chisanga (Ibou Thior as Q&A panelist)
- Poster presentations
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Poster presentations will be available throughout the conferences. Links to each poster are below.
EP-05-643: Strengthening TB drug logistics management using QuanTB for drug quantification and as an early warning system in Uzbekistan
Presenter: Khasan Safaev
Summary: The Uzbek Ministry of Health/NTP with support from the Eliminating TB in Central Asia Activity project enhanced QuanTB use as a comprehensive tool for quantification and as an early warning system for TB drug management at the central and regional (sub-central) levels.
EP-06-658: Digital technologies to support adherence and optimise health human resource: the 99DOTS Lite experience from Uttar Pradesh, India
Presenter: Muneer Mammi Kutty
Summary: 99DOTS Lite, a phone-based digital adherence tool, is being piloted with TB patients in five districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. Preliminary findings on its usability among patients for reporting and providers for monitoring and supervising treatment adherence are presented.
Presenter: Olga Pavlova
Summary: In Ukraine, inadequate specimen transportation systems lead to delays in TB diagnostics. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this situation. The USAID-funded Support TB Control Efforts in Ukraine Project (STBCEU) has implemented and scaled up a transportation model to deliver TB and HIV diagnosis, treatment and monitoring, COVID-19 testing, and TB and ART drugs when required.
EP-08-681: Strategic planning to expand access to Xpert diagnostic network using laboratory spatial analysis in Vietnam
Presenter: Cuong Duong
Summary: This geospatial analysis of GeneXpert (GX) facilities provided a framework for Vietnam NTP’s efficient and targeted GX expansion. The analysis of GX coverage and accessibility showed that strong linkage of all non-GX and GX facilities is needed to reach high population coverage, which could be achieved through a nationwide
EP-18-775: TB diagnostic network assessment: a critical input to achieve TB goals and targets in Tanzania
Presenter: Samwel Mulungu
Summary: Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance and Tanzania’s National TB and Leprosy Programme performed a TB Diagnostic Network Assessment in 2021 to review network performance, compare the country to international standards, assess current practices, review policies and guidelines, and identify challenges and areas for improvement in order to provide optimal TB diagnosis and care.
EP-20-794: Role of repeat Xpert Ultra test after trace results: an experience from Vietnam
Presenter: Cuong Duong
Summary: A study was conducted to examine the practice of re-testing vs. not re-testing following a trace result on Xpert®MTB/RIF Ultra in the detection and treatment of TB in health facilities piloting Xpert Ultra in four provinces in Vietnam.
EP-22-809: Artificial intelligence reading of chest X-rays to triage pulmonary tuberculosis at health facilities in Vietnam
Presenter: Cuong Duong
Summary: A pilot study was conducted on the application of artificial intelligence (AI, Qure.ai software) in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, to assess if AI reading of chest X-ray could be used as per the national algorithm of X-ray and Xpert (double X strategy) in Vietnam.
EP-24-832: Managing the implementation of active drug safety monitoring of the new anti-tuberculosis drugs in Kazakhstan
Presenter: Shynar Maretbayeva
Summary: From 2016 to 2021, Kazakhstan increased patient coverage using novel TB drugs and improved DR-TB case management. The roll-out of new drugs has been accompanied by the inclusion of pharmacovigilance measures in the National TB Plan (NTP) and a revision of the regulations and operational framework for the use of active drug safety monitoring and management in regular practice.
EP-29-880: Automation of data entry and processing in laboratories using barcoding and laboratory management information system
Presenter: Muneer Mammi Kutty
Summary: The pandemic revealed health systems gaps in India, including inadequate systematic sample tracking systems and testing capacity, manual data input with duplication of effort, and underutilization of human resources (HR). PATH supported the integration of barcoding technology and a cloud-based laboratory information management system to address gaps to optimize HR.
EP-40-1002: Addressing COVID-19 and other communicable diseases among internally displaced persons in Poltava, Ukraine
Presenter: Roman Rodyna
Summary: Russia's invasion of Ukraine resulted in a large number of internally displaced individuals (IDPs). As part of the USAID-funded Support TB Control Efforts in Ukraine Project, PATH implemented multidisciplinary monitoring teams in the Poltava Region, which is home to 56,000 IDPs, in order to ensure access to health services for IDPs and maximize the utilization of local healthcare resources.