Throughout the years, our teams worked with local health authorities and their staff to strengthen the technical capacity of TB management in these areas. In 2023, as the project achieved its objectives of establishing a comprehensive system of TB prevention, early detection, case management, and patient follow-up, we gradually handed it over to the provincial health authority.
Local health workers and doctors received training in specific testing procedures, while laboratory technicians were taught how to use the sophisticated GeneXpert molecular testing machine for rapid diagnosis. Patient education, counseling, and outreach activities were also part of our capacity-building efforts.
Additionally, to contribute to global research on TB diagnosis, MSF conducted a study comparing the performance of ultrasound to chest X-ray in diagnosing pulmonary TB. If the results are comparable, this would demonstrate an easier and more efficient implementation in resource-limited settings.
