AFRO-NETS> RFI: The experience of being a TB treatment supporter

[Sarah Escott <hssses@hyde1.leeds.ac.uk>]

RFI: The experience of being a TB treatment supporter
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Hello,

I wondered if anyone could help.

I am interested to hear about people's experience of being a commu-
nity TB treatment supporter.

Several TB programmes now use directly observed therapy as the strat-
egy for TB control. Increasingly community based DOT is being used to 
improve accessibility especially in rural areas. Such programmes of-
ten use community health workers, community volunteers (e.g. store 
keepers, community members etc.) or relatives to be the treatment 
supporter to supervise the TB treatment on a daily (or less frequent) 
basis. 

I am interested in one particular issue arising from such a model of 
care: what is the experience of actually being a TB treatment sup-
porter? 

I suspect that there may be an initial phase when the 'prestige' of 
being chosen and trained elevates the self esteem of a volunteer. I 
am concerned about the longer term burden on the treatment supporter 
and, if he or she perceives one, the nature of this burden and 
whether it influences their willingness to act as a treatment sup-
porter in the future. In my view this could be a major factor in in-
fluencing whether such community based TB programmes are sustainable.

Please send me your thoughts, personal experience as a supporter or 
experience from working within such a model of care and discussions 
with TB treatment supporters. Is anyone doing any qualitative re-
search into this aspect of community based TB programmes?

Thanks,

Sarah Escott
mailto:hssses@leeds.ac.uk

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