Supported by the SATBHSSP, the government has been working with IOM to reach communities with vulnerable populations of miners, ex-miners, and their families in 13 districts in Inhambane and Gaza provinces. Between October 2022 and March 2023, 6,614 people were screened for TB at the community level, of which 7% were diagnosed.
This approach entails systematic screening of a target population for active (not latent) cases of TB in migrant-sending communities through community health workers, local health screening campaigns, and collaboration with traditional healers and leaders. Through IOM’s targeted community-level active case-finding approach, around 50% of new TB cases detected are miners, ex-miners, and other migrant workers traveling to and from South Africa, while the remaining 50% are other community members.
IOM has also worked to ensure adherence to TB treatment among miners and ex-miners and performs screening of household contacts with on-site sputum collection and HIV testing, Directly Observed Therapy in the community (DOT-C), and refers and supports patients to access health facilities.
Cross-border collaboration
Another part of the project’s aim is to assist with compensation for miners and ex-miners, which has been a laborious process. There has been steady progress. Through the OHCs, miners and ex-miners with eligible illnesses can submit requests for medical compensation to the South African Medical Bureau for Occupational Diseases (MBOD) and the Compensation Commissioner for Occupational Diseases and receive payment in Mozambique.
Further collaboration and progress have been seen in mine regulations and inspections, accelerated by the SATBHSSP with technical support from the African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD). However, as with compensation, much more remains to be done to ensure mobile populations at risk and vulnerable to TB and occupational diseases receive assistance.
The SATBHSSP is active in four countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, with the involvement of two regional entities – AUDA-NEPAD and the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC). As the closing date of the project approaches, a look back at the results achieved so far reveals substantial progress in serving the targeted, neglected community.
One of the critical indicators for the project—the
.Countries are ramping up efforts to detect active TB cases in communities, including in hard-to-reach areas, to make up for time lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely affected the provision of health services in most countries. We will report more results when the project closes in December 2023.
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