TB Program

Working together to EndTB through identification and education

Using tracing, triage, and training to fight this entirely preventable disease

Despite being all but eradicated in the developed world, Tuberculosis (TB) is still one of the country’s biggest killers.

Timor-Leste has the 7th highest rates of TB in the world.

TB is a devastating disease affecting the lungs and other parts of the body such as the central nervous system, bones and joints, brain, kidney, liver and blood.

Young children under five years old, the elderly, people with HIV and immune compromised health conditions are at higher risk of getting TB.

Identifying and treating people with TB early saves lives and prevents the disease from spreading.

Our Mobile TB team performing contact tracing in a remote village

What are we doing?

TB Tracing and Referral

We screen family and household contacts of TB patients to help identify cases and refer confirmed cases for a TB specific antibiotic treatment schedule. If the risk is high enough, we also refer close contacts for preventative treatment at a community health centres. 

We also work together with local laboratories to screen samples using GeneXpert testing to identify Multi-Drug Resistant TB which requires special care.

In 2022 we:

Screened 2,383 household contacts for TB

Multi Drug Resistance TB Progam

Treatment of multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) requires a long and complex regimen of drugs with multiple side effects. Patients also suffer from stigma in a society and fear.  

We educate previous patients as TB Champions to educate, counsel and support MDR-TB patients when newly diagnosed and throughout their whole treatment. 

Our peer counsellors travel to the patient’s home (with consent) to provide education to their family members on TB, in order to assist adherence of TB treatment and to conduct contact tracing.

So far we have:

Collected and tested 156 patient samples for multi drug resistent TB

Cough Triage Training

We teach each nurses to identify and screen patients presenting to hospitals with chest symptoms. Better screening allows us to  will determine if the person if suspect TB.

Patients who are at risk of having airborne infectious disease such as TB or COVID are separated from other patients in a “cough corner” treated by healthcare workers using a higher level of personal protective equipment

So far we have agreed:

To create cough corners in all 6 public hospitals

TB education and counselling

We screen family and household contacts of TB patients to help identify cases and refer confirmed cases for a TB specific antibiotic treatment schedule. If the risk is high enough, we also refer close contacts for preventative treatment at a community health centres. 

We also work in collaboration with local laboratories to screen samples using 

In 2022:

Trained 78 healthcare professionals on TB control

Systems improvement

Together with the Timor-Leste Ministry of health we are always looking at ways of improving systems to better mangage TB in the healtcare system. 

A key element of systems improvement has been the implementation of a referall feedback mechanism that ensures that patients get better care when their case is passed between healthcare providers in different locations.

So far we are:

Implemented enhanced referrals in all 6 public hospitals

Latest News about our TB Program

Who we work with on this program?

Timor-Leste Ministry of Health
Global Fund
State Trustees - Primary logo - transparent background
John Burge Trust

The TB team

Destiana

Destiana Nunes Sequeira

TB Senior Healthcare Worker
TB Senior Healthcare Worker
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Belmerio Jeronimo

Belmerio Jeronimo

TB Programme Manager
At MT I have the opportunity for more challenges, more opportunities to learn new things!
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