Strengthening Tuberculosis Programs

JSI is involved in a variety of activities to support and strengthen tuberculosis (TB) programs through technical leadership and technical assistance.

JSI has implemented programs for TB control in more than ten countries around the world, including in the U.S. Internationally, through centrally- and bilaterally-funded USAID projects, JSI efforts have focused on TB drug supply management and monitoring and evaluation, as well as supporting the community-based model of TB DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course), laboratory strengthening, and linking TB and HIV programs.

As a member of the international Stop TB Partnership, JSI supports the vision, mission and objectives of Stop TB. We provide skills and services that are consistent with Stop TB’s efforts, such as offering our drug management expertise to Stop TB teams conducting global drug facility (GDF) monitoring reviews.

TB-focused efforts in JSI country programs are implemented with strong collaboration and partnership with local governments to ensure that all people—especially those who are outside a system of care—have the opportunity to protect their health and receive medical care. Through Uganda's AIM Project, JSI worked with the Government of Uganda’s National TB/Leprosy Program to expand community-based DOTS to all 56 districts in the country.

JSI is a world leader in drug management and logistics systems development. In Central Asia, JSI is working to strengthen commodity security in health facilities where TB services are provided, and to improve TB drug management by service providers. Recent efforts include development of a curriculum on TB drug management for GDF consultant training. JSI staff also facilitated a five-day training in Almaty, Kazakhstan in 2006 for 24 participants from 12 countries with Stop TB and other partners.

Integration of TB, HIV and AIDS services is another key area of JSI capability. Our CAPACITY Project in the Central Asian Republics is working to create linkages between vertical TB and HIV services to ensure the continuum of care for people living with HIV in Central Asian countries where the HIV epidemic is one of the fastest growing in the world.

Collection and utilization of TB data has been always been a challenge for national TB control programs. JSI is a key partner in the MEASURE Evaluation Project, which works to improve and institutionalize the collection and utilization of data for monitoring and evaluating health, population, and nutrition programs in developing countries. JSI and partners have developed a compendium for USAID and other global partners on monitoring and evaluating TB programs based on the five elements of DOTS. Stop TB and other global partners were engaged as coauthors of the document, Compendium of Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluating National Tuberculosis Programs, in order to ensure global compatibility and acceptability.

In the United States, JSI has supported TB control efforts among homeless populations. Since 1999, JSI has been managing the Uniform Data System (UDS), the HRSA nationwide data collection tool that reaches all federally-funded community health centers nationwide, as well as from National Health Service Corps sites. Tuberculosis information, including the number of clients with tuberculosis and number of client encounters, is collected and analyzed.