45th Union World Conference on Lung Health
Health systems stengthening drives our response to the tuberculosis epidemic. In over 30 countries MSH is working with international, national, and local partners to strengthen the capacity of health systems, national TB programs, and health managers to improve the lives of those affected by TB and prevent the spread of disease. Our work addresses all elements of the health system: service delivery; leadership and governance; medical products, vaccines, and technologies; health financing; health information; and human resources. MSH supports universal access to treatment, care, and prevention for all, but especially for the world's poorest and most vulnerable people.
Photo credit: Mark Tuschmann
More than 30 MSH staff from the home and country offices will travel to Barcelona, Spain to participate in the 45th Union World Conference on Lung Health. MSH will co-host a workshop with the Global Drug Facility, speak at five symposia, give five oral presentations and present 19 posters.
In addition, the USAID-funded, MSH-led Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program will re-launch QuanTB, a downloadable medicine management tool that transforms complicated quantification and forecasting calculations into a user-friendly dashboard.
Visit us at booth 43. Join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #LungHealth.
Guide for delegates at the 45th Union World Conference on Lung Health
MSH Sessions and Presentations
Please join MSH and our partners during these featured events at the 45th Union World Conference on Lung Health
WEDNESDAY
Workshop (09) — How Global Mechanisms for Supply Chain Contribute to Availability of TB Medicines at the Community Level
Wednesday, 29 October | 09:00–17:00 | Room 124
Organized by MSH and the Global Drug Facility (GDF)
The MSH-led Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program and the GDF will share processes, practical approaches, and tools for improving TB pharmaceutical systems and services. Global mechanisms such as GDF, WHO and Global Fund have immensely contributed to TB service provision and outcome at the community level. GDF provided over 23 million first-line treatments valued at approximately 1 billion dollars (2002–2013) and over 100,000 second-line treatments (2007–2013) to more than 110 countries for their communities. The USAID-funded SIAPS project has worked with NTPs and counterparts to build capacity and strengthen TB supply chain systems to ensure access to medicines and services at the community level. This workshop will discuss strategies and tools to improve access at the community level.
Coordinator: C. Owunna, SIAPS Program
Chairs: A. Zagorski, SIAPS Program and J. Keravec, Global Drug Facility
THURSDAY
Symposium (05) — Next Generation of eHealth for TB: Systems that Communicate
Thursday, 30 October | 08:00–10:00| Room 114
Electronic health information systems are abundant but oftentimes isolated and do not communicate with each other. This challenge occurs at various levels of health care, in the public and private sectors, and within the community. This symposium uses lessons learned from different settings to illustrate innovative solutions to make eHealth systems “talk together” and provide users with comprehensive information for decision-making. National staff and experts from TB and HIV fields will share how they overcome barriers related to interoperability of eHealth systems.
Chair: A. Zagorski, SIAPS Program
Symposium (15) — Systematic Screening for Active TB: From Guideline to Implementation
Thursday, 30 October | 14:30–16:30 | Room 115
In 2013, WHO issued guidelines on systematic screening for active TB that stressed the need for country adaptation and prioritization based on national and local situation assessments. Several countries have started to operationalize those guidelines, developed draft national screening strategies, and implemented screening in selected risk groups. In this symposium, selected country case studies will be presented. A web-based tool to help prioritize risk groups for screening and help choose screening algorithms will also be presented, as well as a draft operational manual.
P. Suarez, MSH & F. Bonsu, NTP Manager Ghana – Screening for TB in risk groups in Ghana
Oral Presentations | 12:45–14:15
OAP–205–30 — Magnitude of Tuberculosis Among Malnourished Children in Afghanistan, A. Momand, TB CARE I Afghanistan
OAP–216–30 — Implementation of e-TB Manager in Ukraine: Better Data for Better Health Outcomes, G. Bastos, SIAPS Program
Posters | 10:15–11:15
PD–691–30 — Interventions Improve TB Infection Control at Hundreds of Health Facilities in Ethiopia, 2012–2013, M. Melese, HEAL TB Ethiopia
FRIDAY
Symposium (20) — Community-Driven Psychological Support: Don’t Forget Medication Counseling!
Friday, 31 October | 08:00–10:00 | Room 117
Psychosocial support has been shown to improve outcomes and treatment adherence, yet TB programs under-emphasize patient counseling. Not just as recipients of care, patients can become engaged in their treatment and those who successfully complete treatment can become skilled patient counselors. Moreover, the term counseling may encompass various dimensions (i.e., emotional, social support, motivation, treatment literacy, medication counseling) but not be well aligned to local realities. The symposium will address this topic from diverse geographical and programmatic settings.
Coordinators: A. Kwiecien, SIAPS Program & N. Konduri, SIAPS Program
Symposium (23) — QMS Implementation and Accreditation of TB Laboratories
Friday, 31 October | 08:00–10:10 | Room 114
The improvement of the quality of services in public laboratories is actually high priority in many countries. The Stepwise Laboratory Improving Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) framework, aimed at achieving the ISO 15189 standards, was implemented in public health laboratories in WHO regions, leading to laboratory accreditation and certification and promoting country ownership and sustainability of the laboratory Quality Management System (QMS). To compliment this framework targeting TB Lab networks, The Global Laboratory Initiative (GLI) has developed a QMS to guide TB laboratories
A. Nyaruhirira, MSH South Africa & Ghana NTP Team – SLIPTA programme, SLMTA, and GLI TB tools complementarity in strengthening laboratory management system
Oral Presentations | 12:45–14:15
OAP–308–31 — Public Health Solutions for Combatting TB in a Low-Income Country: Experience from Afghanistan, G. Qader, TB CARE I Afghanistan
OAP–310–31 — The Management and Organizational Sustainability Tool (MOST) contributes to improved management and technical capacity at Uganda’s National TB Program, M. Ruhweza, TRACK TB Uganda
OAP–353–31 — Strengthening Community-Based TB Care Improves TB Case Notification Rates in Amhara and Oromia Regions, Ethiopia, D. Jerene, HEAL TB Ethiopia
Posters | 10:15–11:15
PD–793–31 — GeneXpert early implementation experience in Ethiopia: How to plan for Implemenation and Address Challenges Before Further Roll Out, D. Jerene, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD–803–31 — Implementation of a Decentralized AFB Microscopy Quality Assurance System in Amhara and Oromia Region of Ethiopia, 2014, M. Melese, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD-810-31 — Initiating an Innovative External Quality Assurance Programme for Xpert MTB/RIF Instrument in Ghana (Pilot Phase), A. Nyaruhirira, MSH South Africa
PD–831–31 — Strengthening TB Specimen Referral in Zambia to Improve Diagnostic Capacity: A Stepwise Approach, G. Kahenya, TB CARE I Zambia
PD–832–31 — Implementation Experience of Light-Emitting Diode Fluorescence Microscopy TB in TB Microscopic Centers in Amhara Region of Ethiopia, 2013–2014, Y. Kassie, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD–834–31 — The Contribution of Light-Emitting Diode Fluorescence Microscopy (LED-FM) to Smear Positive TB Case Detection in the Tigary Region of Ethiopia, P. Reji, TB CARE I Ethiopia
PD–868–31 — Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment of Tuberculosis in Different Agro-Ecological Zones in Oromia Region, Ethiopia, M. Melese, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD–890–31 — The Impact of the Implementation of Integrated Pharmaceutical Logistic System in Reducing Anti-TB Drug Stock Outs in Two Vast Regions of Ethiopia, M. Legess, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD–891–01 — Improving TB Cure Rate of New TB SS+ Cases Through Strengthening Local Implementation Capacity in Amhara and Oromia Regions, Ethiopia, 2011–2013, M. Melese, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD–898–31 — Standard of Care Indicators as a Capacity Building and TB Program Improvement Tool: An innovative approach, S. Hamusse Daba, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD–921–31 — Contribution of TB Infection Control (TBIC) Implementation to the TB Case Detection Trend in Afghanistan, A. Hamim, TB CARE I Afghanistan
PD–935–31 — Comparison of the Yield From Contact Screening Among Smear Positive Versus Smear Negative Tuberculosis Patient in North Western Ethiopia, Y. Kasse, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD–936–31 — Early Results From a Large-Scale Implementation of Health Facility-Based Contact Investigation in Amhara and Oromia Regions of Ethiopia, 2013–2014, D. Jerene, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD–965–31 — eTB Manager Implementation in Nigeria: Progress and Challenges, L. Reciolino, TB CARE I Nigeria
PD–970–31 — High Yield of Contact Investigation Among Household Contacts of Smear-Positive Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients Using GeneXpert MTB/RIF in Ethiopia, B. Tessema, HEAL TB Ethiopia
SATURDAY
Symposium (46) — Innovative Solutions in Surveillance of Drug-Resistant TB: From Phenotypic to Molecular Testing
Saturday, 01 November | 14:00–16:00 | Room 112
Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a major global health care problem. Understanding the burden is essential to the success of control programs, especially with the advent of new molecular technologies, which allow faster patient diagnosis and more frequent monitoring of DR-TB. This symposium will discuss performance of molecular approaches to the diagnosis of DR-TB and their applications in surveillance of DR-TB. Testing for resistance to fluoroquinolones and pyrazinamide and the role of routine surveillance vs surveys will also be discussed.
Coordinator: A. Nyaruhirira, MSH South Africa & Ghanta NTP Team
Special Session — TB Costing and Financing and Social Support for Patients
Saturday, 01 November | 16:45–17:45 | Room 124
Most countries need to scale up TB detection and treatment in order to reduce the impact of TB and address the worrying increases in multi-drug resistant TB. To achieve this they must find additional domestic resources and use them effectively and efficiently. In this session we will discuss ways to determine how much financing is needed for the TB program and where that financing can come from, including the role of insurance. In addition to funding challenges an important barrier to scaling up is patient compliance and this session will also look at the social and economic barriers that prevent patients from seeking or completing treatment and some solutions to address the problem.
Speakers: D. Collins, MSH and S. van Dor Hof, KNCV
Oral Presenations | 12:45–13:45
OPP–353–31 — Strengthening Community-Based TB Care Improves TB Case Notification Rates in Amhara and Oromia Regions, Ethiopia, D. Jerene, HEAL TB Ethiopia
OPP–444–01 — Contribution of Public-Private Mix (Urban DOTS) in TB Control Services in Kabul, Afghanistan, A. Hamim, TB CARE I Afghanistan
Posters 10:15–11:15
PD–1019–01 — Childhood Tuberculosis is Directly Linked to the Smear Positive Tuberculosis Case Notification Rate: Results from Amhara and Oromia Regions, Ethiopia, D. Jerene, HEAL TB Ethiopia
PD–1172–01 — The Role of Private Health Facilities in Managing Drug-Resistant TB Patients in an Urban Setting: Experiences from Kampala, Uganda, A. Nkolo, MSH Uganda
PD–1188–01 — Improving Patient Treatment Outcomes for Tuberculosis Using a Risk Minimization-Based Approach, C. Owunna, SIAPS Program
PD–1192–01 — Result of Five Years? Experience of TB Control Services in Central Highland of Afghanistan, A. Hamim, TB CARE I Afghanistan