PSP-Ethiopia: Expanding TB Services to the Private Health Sector in Ethiopia

The Abt Associates-led PSP-Ethiopia project began in October 2004 with activities primarily focused on workplace interventions. At that time, TB treatment in Ethiopia was limited to public sector health facilities. However, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) had a strong interest in expanding DOTS services in line with the World Health Organization's (WHO) global recommendation to involve the private sector in the delivery of TB services (Engaging All Health Care Providers in TB Control, WHO, 2006). In 2003, Ethiopia's National TB Control Program Review recommended innovative approaches to increase case detection for the country, including the implementation of Public-Private Mix (PPM) for DOTS.

This expansion of services is logical given the epidemiology of TB in Ethiopia. The growth of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ethiopia has contributed to a significant rise in TB cases. Ethiopia has a national case detection rate of 27% (Global Tuberculosis Control Report, WHO 2008), and is ranked seventh in tuberculosis (TB) prevalence among high-burden countries. The FMOH has been working on multiple fronts to reduce morbidity and mortality from TB. Current efforts to control TB are aimed at achieving two global targets: detecting 70 percent of the estimated TB cases and curing 85 percent of the detected cases.

http://www.psp-one.com/files/5268_file_PPM_ExpandingTBservices.pdf