By Salmaan Keshavjee, Askar Yedilbayev, Chris Sweeney
How "Sputnik," a model of patient-centered accompaniment in Tomsk, Russia, delivers daily comprehensive care to TB and MDR-TB patients at greatest risk of defaulting from treatment.
The goal of this pocket guide, which was funded by USAID through the TB CARE II Project, is to provide practitioners useful information for the clinical management of MDR-TB patients.
PIH clinicians are trained in the main aspects of comprehensive HIV/STIs and tuberculosis treatment and management, including diagnosis and treatment using clinical algorithms, adherence support, patient education, prevention, partner notification strategies, and prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child (PMTCT).
Based on PIH’s experiences, this guide offers an approach to starting, revamping, or expanding a program in the field. Its aim is to help program managers solve challenges commonly faced in resource-poor settings.
PIH trains specialized community health workers, known as Accompagnateurs, to accompany people with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) by providing Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) and support for people taking ARVs or TB medications, education, and psychological and social support. Accompagnateurs serve as a vital link between the people they serve and the health center.
PIH Lesotho’s Maternal Mortality Reduction Program trains specialized village health workers, known as Maternal Mortality Reduction Program Assistants (MMRPAs) to accompany pregnant women, ensuring that women attend all prenatal health facility visits, plan for safe delivery at a health facility, and receive postnatal care.