The TB Shield Project, funded by Spiro, aims to strengthen tuberculosis (TB) screening among household contacts of identified TB patients, with a particular focus on children under five years of age who may be eligible for TB Preventive Treatment (TPT).
The project is currently being implemented by the Rural Support Programmes Network (RSPN) in nine districts, following a decision by the Communicable Disease Control-III (CDC-III)
RSPN’s primary role is to facilitate the screening of household contacts of identified tuberculosis (TB) patients, with a particular focus on identifying, screening and providing TB Preventive Treatment (TPT) to eligible children under five years of age.Digital monitoring through CommCare enables Community Health Officers (CHOs) to record household visits, screening activities, referrals, teleconsultations, treatment initiation and follow-up, supporting systematic documentation and monitoring of project implementation.
Geographical Coverage
Qambar Shahdadkot
Larkana
Jacobabad
Kashmore
Tharparkar
Umerkot
Thatta
Sujawal
Tando Allahyar
Implementation Approach
The project begins with the collection of TB index case data from each BMU.
For households without children under five years of age, household contacts are mobilised through telephone calls and encouraged to visit their respective BMUs for TB screening and further assessment.
Where an index case’s household includes a child under five, the designated CHO visits the household to screen all household contacts for symptoms. Children identified as symptomatic are referred to the nearest BMU for further diagnostic evaluation. For asymptomatic children, the CHO consults a teleconsultant to determine the appropriate TPT regimen and dosage.
Following teleconsultation, the CHO demonstrates the preparation and administration of the prescribed dose to the caregiver and supervises the first dose. The remaining 11 doses are provided to parents or caregivers, along with guidance on administration and adherence. Other household members are counselled and encouraged to visit their respective BMUs for screening and further assessment, including TPT where eligible and in accordance with applicable clinical guidelines.
Digital Monitoring
Project activities, including household visits, symptom screening, referrals, teleconsultations, TPT initiation and follow-up, are recorded digitally through CommCare, a data collection and monitoring platform developed by Dimagi.
Each CHO has been provided with an official tablet to record and update project activities, supporting documentation, monitoring and reporting of implementation progress.
