Stop TB Partnership

TB prevention toolkit provides detailed practical advice for health care workers

24 March 2011 - Seattle, US - The International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) has launched a TB prevention toolkit.

Developed in collaboration with the Curry International Tuberculosis Center at the University of California, the toolkit is targeted at facility level administrators and health care workers in communities with a high prevalence of TB and HIV. It is designed to provide clear guidance to help these leaders and clinicians implement, monitor, and continuously improve TB prevention and control measures. It also provides a selected set of accurate, up-to-date guidance documents and resources.

"For some time, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other policy leaders have been pushing for more robust TB infection control and prevention activities, particularly among people living with HIV," says Dr. Christopher Behrens, I-TECH Medical Director. "Strong guidelines exist, but at the facility level, it can be difficult for implementers to know where to begin. We designed this resource to provide step-by-step guidance on how to get started, prioritizing areas that are easiest and have the most impact."

Using the "Three I’s" framework developed by WHO, the toolkit provides guidance on strengthening TB infection control practices, intensifying TB case finding among people living with HIV, and incorporating isoniazid preventive therapy into care and treatment. For each of these "Three I’s," the toolkit provides detailed implementation activities, action steps, guidance on monitoring and evaluating progress, training tools, and steps for continuous quality improvement.

The online toolkit will be updated periodically to reflect new information and guidelines. To reach a greater number of users, toolkit materials will also soon be available as a free CD-ROM, available from I-TECH on request.

View the toolkit online