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.
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
John Burge Trust
The TB team
Belmerio Jeronimo
TB Programme Manager
TB - Timor Team
Pascoal (Ano) de Jesus
TB Deputy Program Manager
TB - Timor Team
How your donation helps
A little goes a long way to improving health in Timor-Leste
Doctors Bag*
$25
A good doctors bag is essential, and this is all it takes to provide one to our graduate doctors
Intensive association workshops
$100
over 12 months
This covers training a future “role model doctor” through the Family Training Program
Doctor Training
$94 /m
over 12 months
This covers training a future “role model doctor” through the Family Training Program