working to stop TB with DOTS

DOTS stands for Directly Observed Treatment, Short -Course, and is an internationally recognised health care management system. The DOTS programme is a patient-centred approach that provides support by observing patients while they take their treatment and swallow their TB drugs thus ensuring that they complete their treatment. The DOTS programme also helps identify patient's who are in the infectious stage of the disease by monitoring sputum samples under the microscope, providing effective drug treatment and monitoring the patient's progress towards a cure. One of the aims of the TB DOTS programme is to cure 85% of all TB patients in the country by 2005. The Director of the Communicable Disease Programme in the Department of Health has predicted that the successful implementation of the DOTS programme can prevent 1.7 million new TB cases, avert 50 000 deaths, and save R2 billion by the year 2005 (Source National TB Control Programme, Department of Health Publication).

We can STOP TB

STOP stands for

Smear-positive patients
Treat for 6 months
Observed treatment
Patient-centeredness

The Western Cape TB alliance
A new approach to TB hospitalisation is being developed in the Western Cape called the TB Alliance. In the past TB treatment for patients has required that they spend long periods of time in hospital, sometimes for up to periods of six months. The new approach is to reserve hospitalisation for patients who are extremely ill with serious complications such as drug-resistant TB and to offer other patients a community- based service. The TB alliance has links with other community resources: the Western Cape Province Department of Health, Community Health association of Southern Africa (CHASA), the South African National TB Association (SANTA), Community Services Project (COSPRO), Cape Town City Council, Cape Metropolitan Council, Zibonele Community Health Project and members of the community.

The TB Alliance project develops links with patients newly admitted to hospital and the community health service. When a patient is well enough to return home they can be discharged to the community where they can select the most convenient place to receive daily TB treatment. There are over 300 supervisors in the community overseeing the treatment of approximately
9 00 patients (need updated stats, this info from 96: Source National TB Programme)

Famous people who have suffered from Tuberculosis

(Source Coovadia & Benetar (1991) Ref: Africa's Who's Who 1990 for Desmond Tutu)