Working Together to End Tuberculosis

Ending TB Together

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the world's leading infectious disease killers. TB is spread from person to person through coughing and sneezing — one person with active, untreated TB can spread the disease to as many as 15 other people in a year. There are 10 million new cases every year, including 1.1 million children, and a total of 1.5 million people died from TB in 202 . As part of the global effort to achieve the SDG 3 target of ending the epidemics of AIDS, TB and malaria, World Vision staff are committed to identifying and treating TB in communities where we work.

The challenge is, of course, far too large for any one organisation. This is why we carry out our work in close partnership with governments, funding agencies, other non-governmental organisations, the World Health Organization and local communities.

By far our biggest funding partner has been The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. World Vision has implemented 47 TB grants from the Global Fund, with a total value of US$265.8 million. In addition, World Vision has implemented 9 joint HIV/TB grants from the Global Fund, with a total value of US$177.1 million. We have been primary recipients of TB grants in Guatemala, India, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Somalia and Thailand, consistently meeting or exceeding expected performance-based funding results in TB projects. Secondary recipient countries include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Senegal and Thailand.

Projects focus on community systems strengthening using an advocacy and social mobilisation approach to increase case-finding, diagnosis, and enrolment in the WHO-recommended tuberculosis control strategy DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course). World Vision also promotes counselling training for social workers, psychologists, doctors, technicians and community health workers who address TB.

A global challenge

In India, our work aims to improve access to quality TB care and control services including increasing diagnosis and treatment for multi-drug resistant TB. The project, through its 6 NGO partners, works through advocacy and social mobilisation in 74 traditionally under-served districts and hard-to-reach populations (approximately 222 million people) and has been particularly successful in increasing case detection among women and children under 14 years of age. To help identify TB among children, World Vision India formed the Little Doctors' Club.

The children promote activities to improve the school and community's health, hygiene and sanitation. The awareness they bring helps identify cases and give timely treatment. World Vision India is spearheading Little Doctors’ Club across 50 schools engaging 600 children and teachers in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Family in Somalia

Somalia is one of the world’s most fragile and insecure contexts. Nevertheless, World Vision and partner agencies have decreased TB incidence there and worked hard to prevent drug resistance. For a decade, the Global Fund-funded TB project has identified and treated 115,000+ people, trained 132 health staff in DOTS, and aided 30 laboratories in TB microscopy leading to 6,505 notified cases of TB. The project is building local capacity and a supportive environment for health service delivery through strengthened coordination and partnership development at governmental, district and community levels.

Read Kamila's story here.

Woman with end TB t-shirt

In Papua New Guinea, a recent project focused on ensuring availability and access to quality drugs and laboratory diagnostics for TB, HIV, and malaria, as well as establishing and improving the quality of laboratory services with an emphasis on primary health care.

Watch as community members, partners - including the National Department of Health - and World Vision staff talk about diagnosing and treating TB in Papua New Guinea.

TB Case Studies

Myanmar Case Study: Extending TB Services to Hard to Reach Areas

Empowering Migrants to Reach Migrants in the Fight Against TB in Thailand

TB Reduction among non-Thai migrants (TBRAM) Project

Charity TB Run Article, October 25, 2020: The 4th Charity TB Run Mini Marathon was hosted by World Vision Thailand in collaboration with Thailand's Ministry of Public Health, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Thai Jogging Federation, and the World Vision Foundation of Thailand. This activity was part of the ‘Stop TB and AIDS through RRTTR’ project that is implemented by World Vision Thailand with financial support from The Global Fund.