RESEARCH ARTICLE


Epidemiological Surveys Embedded in Technical Assistance to Tuberculosis Control Programmes



Frank van Leth*, 1, Eveline Klinkenberg1, 2
1 Department of Global Health, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, The Netherlands
2 KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, The Hague, The Netherlands

Article Information


Identifiers and Pagination:

Year: 2013
Volume: 7
First Page: 65
Last Page: 71
Publisher Id: TOIDJ-7-65
DOI: 10.2174/1874279301307010065

Article History:

Received Date: 10/11/2012
Revision Received Date: 19/1/2013
Acceptance Date: 21/1/2013
Electronic publication date: 19/4/2013
Collection year: 2013

© 2013 Leth et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Correspondence: * Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Global Health, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Pietersbergweg 17, 1105BM Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Tel: +31 20 566 1593; E-mail: f.vanleth@aighd.org


Abstract

Many National Tuberculosis Programmes (NTPs) receive Technical Assistance (TA) for the implementation and evaluation of their TB-control strategies. KNCV tuberculosis Foundation (KNCV) in the Netherlands is a TA organization providing assistance for many years in over 30 countries.

The NTPs use their own surveillance data to assess TB control strategies. These data are not accurate enough to serve as valid epidemiological parameters. KNCV adds an epidemiological research component to the general TA. Epidemiological research does give the evidence-base needed for TB control. Embedding this research in continued programme support from TA consultants has been fruitful.

This paper details KNCV's experiences with such TA plus epidemiological research approach, specially in conducting large-scale population-based surveys: tuberculin surveys, TB prevalence surveys, and drug resistance surveys. The lessons learned include the added value of long-term programme support, of a thorough knowledge of the survey's situational context, of in-country capacity building, and of guidelines for guiding, as opposed to dictating, research.

Keywords: Tuberculosis, tuberculin, drug resistance.