Expanding Ambulatory Care to Treat Drug-Resistant TB in Ethiopia

Expanding Ambulatory Care to Treat Drug-Resistant TB in Ethiopia

The National TB Programme (NTP) in Ethiopia is committed to decentralizing and scaling up implementation of drug resistant TB (DR-TB) management by using an alternative ambulatory model to increase access to care. Challenge TB in collaboration with the NTP supported the implementation of programmatic management of DR-TB (PMDT) across the country by expanding treatment initiating centers (TICs) and treatment follow-up centers (TFCs) to ensure access. The global average achievement of DR-TB treatment success was 55%—Ethiopia surpassed it and achieved 75%. Within the model of care, the NTP maintained the core functions of designing policy packages at the national level, building the capacity of the PMDT service within the NTP, ensuring delivery of routine care within the diagnostic and clinical services, and supporting patients during the course of treatment enrollment and follow-up. This technical brief describes the core areas of programmatic management of DR-TB and how the ambulatory model of care has increased access to treatment.