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Organization Contact Information | |
| Name: | TB Proof |
| Street 1: | 29 Almond Drive |
| Street 2: | |
| City: | Somerset West |
| Province: | |
| Post Code: | 7130 |
| Country: | South Africa |
| Phone: | +27218555474 |
| Organization Email: | daleneduples@gmail.com |
| Web Site: | http://www.tbproof.org |
| Other Online Presence: | |
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General Information | |
| Board Constituency: | Developing Country NGO |
| Is your organization legally registered in your country: | No |
| If yes, please enter your registration number: | |
| Organization Type - Primary: | Non-Governmental Organization |
| Organization Type - Secondary: | Other Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) |
| Organization Description: | |
| TB Proof was founded in 2012 by South African Health Care Workers and Students after multiple personal experiences with occupational tuberculosis, particularly multidrug-resistant TB. This initiative has three main goals: 1. To "TB PROOF" our colleagues, students and patients by creating greater awareness of and protection against occupational and nosocomial TB transmission through education and activism. 2. To destigmatize and prioritize occupational TB by collecting and disclosing proof of an alarming rise in cases. Workers living with HIV are at particularly high risk and need special consideration and support. 3. To mobilize national and global resources through patient advocacy to help address shortcomings in prevention and treatment strategies, both for health care workers and more importantly, the population we serve. |
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| Do you know about the UNHLM declaration: | |
Specializations / Areas of Work | |
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Advocacy |
Other Organization Information | |
| Total number of staff in your organization: | 11 - 25 |
| Number of full-time staff who are directly involved with TB: | 0 |
| Number of part-time staff who are directly involved with TB: | 1 - 5 |
| Number of volunteers who are directly involved with TB: | 1 - 5 |
| How did you hear about the Stop TB Partnership: | Attendance at a TB related event |
| If you were informed or referred by another partner of the Stop TB Partnership please tell us who: | |
| Why do you wish join the Stop TB Partnership: | Network with other partners |
| Are you a member of a Stop TB national partnership: | No |
| Are you in contact with your national TB programme: | Yes |
| Please tell us how your organization is contributing to your country's national TB control plan: | |
| A. Occupational Awareness and Protection Teaching Sessions: There is growing evidence that Health Care Professionals working in developing countries and/or resource constrained settings have limited or incorrect information regarding the risks of TB exposure and infection, particularly drug resistant strains. We aim to empower staff members and students by creating greater awareness through our websites and multiple contact sessions. Since we have started sharing our stories, we were startled by the sheer number of occupational TB accounts that we have encountered. The problem has largely been hidden due to fear of stigmatization (particularly in the context of the HIV epidemic), which is one factor we are trying to address with public disclosures that are as open and informative as possible. We also have student education session at the Universities in Cape Town, South Africa. B. Research, Surveillance and Policy Strengthening: i. We are working with relevant stakeholders to improve existing TB Infection Control Policies for health care workers, students and patients and to draft policies where there are none. ii. Working with Occupational Health to strengthen surveillance systems. iii. Android App - TB Proof: Facility TB risk report form (more applications for other platforms are in development). iv. TB Proof related student study. Information gathered will be used to improve existing education, support and infection control measures and inform future strategies. C. Broader advocacy work: Members of TB Proof have been fortunate to share their personal experiences on various National and Global platforms, including conference presentations, panel discussions and media interviews. The following are focal points: i. How difficult it is to access and then cope with drug resistant TB care, even under the “optimal” treatment and support conditions that were available to some of our members. Clearly the vast majority of patients face far greater challenges with more dire consequences. More user-friendly regimes and greater levels of patient support are urgently needed to improve treatment outcomes. ii. Promoting the accelerated development, testing and compassionate use of novel TB drugs. iii. Are our drug resistant TB programmes failing? Discussion about how to identify and address shortcomings at programmatic and health system levels as well as the more efficient use of limited resources. iv. Alarming rise in occupational TB cases, particularly drug-resistant strains, coupled with deep-rooted stigmatization and suspected high rates of non-disclosure. Health Care Workers living with HIV are particularly vulnerable to stigmatization and require additional support. v. Reaching the 3 million: The WHO estimated that 3 million tuberculosis sufferers were not diagnosed in 2012. South Africa is one of 12 countries that represent 75% of the undiagnosed 3 million cases. Missed and delayed diagnoses of TB in patients in the private and public health sectors of South Africa are alarming problems we hope to address through advocacy and education. vi. Putting the patient first: we strongly support the recent focus on service integration at primary health care and community levels. This includes not only HIV and TB integration, but holistic patient centred services. |
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Geographical Reach | |
| Which country is your headquarters located in: | South Africa |
| Which countries do you do operate in: (This includes countries you are conducting activities in) |
South Africa |
Contribution | |
| Please tell us how your organization will contribute to the Global Plan to Stop TB by briefly describing its involvement in any of the areas of work listed below: | |
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Drug-Resistant TB: Advocacy by members through sharing personal experiences on how difficult it is to access and then cope with drug resistant TB care, even under the “optimal” treatment and support conditions that were available to some of our members. Clearly the vast majority of patients face far greater challenges with more dire consequences. Advocacy for more user-friendly regimes and greater levels of patient support to improve treatment outcomes. TB-HIV: Advocacy focusing on Health Care Workers living with HIV due to their particularly vulnerability to stigmatization and their risk of contracting occupational tuberculosis. Advocating for the required additional support that must be in place for them. New TB Drugs: Advocacy work: Promoting the accelerated development, testing and compassionate use of novel TB drugs |
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Declaration | |
| Declaration of interests: Currently, no conflict of interest. | |
| Application date: | April 22, 2014 |
| Last updated: | May 12, 2014 |