Lessons for TB from the COVID-19 response: qualitative data from Brazil, India and South Africa
METHODS: This was a qualitative exploratory study involving interviews with TB stakeholders (n = 76) in Brazil, India and South Africa 2 years into the COVID-19 pandemic. Interview transcripts were analysed using an inductive coding strategy.
RESULTS: Political will – whether national or subnational – enabled implementation of widespread prevention measures during the COVID-19 response in each country and stimulated mobile and telehealth service delivery innovations. Participants in all three countries emphasised the importance of mobilising and engaging communities in public health responses and noted limited health education and information as barriers to implementing TB control efforts at the community level.
CONCLUSIONS: Building political will and social mobilisation must become more central to TB programming. COVID-19 has shown this is possible. A similar level of investment and collaborative effort, if not greater, as that seen during the COVID-19 pandemic is needed for TB through multi-sectoral partnerships.
Keywords: COVID-19; TB; community engagement; political will; recovery
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: 1: Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health & Development Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2: Department of Community Medicine & School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India 3: Prefeitura Municipal De Quissamã: Health, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 4: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil 5: Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa 6: Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK 7: Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Community Medicine, Puducherry 8: All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, New Delhi, India 9: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
Publication date: December 1, 2023
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