New initiative targets childhood tuberculosis in Sub-Saharan Africa

A new project, called OPTIC-TB, aims to fight tuberculosis (TB) among children in sub-Saharan Africa.

The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) and Kampala International University in Tanzania (KIUT) are leading this effort, with support from partners in Norway, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Every year, TB kills over 200,000 children worldwide. The disease is preventable and treatable, but diagnosing it can be very challenging in areas with limited resources.

The OPTIC-TB project, which stands for "Optimizing the Implementation and Scale-Up of WHO Treatment-Decision Algorithms for Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Children," aims to improve TB diagnosis and treatment using new tools and methods.

Over the next four years, the project will be tested in 120 health facilities across Tanzania, Uganda, and the DRC.

These facilities will be split into two groups: one will use new WHO-recommended diagnostic methods, and the other will continue with current practices.

This will help determine how effective the new methods are in finding TB cases, reducing delays in treatment, and improving patient outcomes.

The success of the project will depend on using the RE-AIM framework, which focuses on making sure the new methods reach the right people, are effective, are adopted widely, and are easy to implement and maintain.

This approach will help ensure the results can be applied to other areas facing similar problems.

In addition to improving diagnosis and treatment, the project will train healthcare workers to use the new methods.

It will also involve local communities, health ministries, and international partners to build support and ensure the project's long-term success.

The OPTIC-TB project is supported by major institutions, including the University of Bergen, NIMR, KIUT, Makerere University, Catholic University of Bukavu, and Kampala International University.

It also has backing from global health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP).

The goal of OPTIC-TB is to reduce the number of TB cases and deaths among children, improve treatment outcomes, and influence policies for better TB management across sub-Saharan Africa.

If successful, it could serve as a model for similar efforts in other regions and contribute to the global fight against TB.