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Country/regional profile
Uganda is one of the poorest countries in the world with over a third of the population, about 9 million people, living below the poverty line. Uganda is still recovering from the devastating effects of a 20 year HIV pandemic. Many people with HIV are also co-infected with TB and in 2006, Uganda was ranked the 14th highest burden country for TB in the world. It is estimated that there are 100,000 new cases of TB annually, and over 25,000 Ugandans lose thier life to the the disease every year. This project focuses on people living with HIV in the slum areas of Namuwongo district in Kampala. The people of Namuwongo live in poor, shanty-housing conditions and lack access to even basic health services. It is estimated that 13% of the slum population are HIV positive.  Our work with IMF
Target TB has recently started working together with International Medical Foundation (IMF), a Ugandan NGO which aims to make high quality medical care available to all who need it in Uganda. IMF work in collaboration the Ugandan Ministry of Health in TB and HIV control programmes, focusing particularly on urban slum communities with high HIV prevalence. Project Aims
The project aims to investigate the effectiveness of a new technique, microscopic observation technique (MOT) for TB diagnosis in low-resource HIV-prevalent settings.
Lab technicians working on the clinical trial
Project Activities - A three month trial phase will test the efficiency and effectiveness of MOT as a TB diagnostic method in Uganda.
- Once effectiveness is established, MOT will then be used to test HIV positive people for TB in the Namuwongo district. All those found to have TB will be put on treatment immediately.
- Community volunteer workers will be trained to provide TB outreach and support services, including health education. The volunteers will work with local community leaders to educate people living in Namuwongo district about TB.
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