Universal Access to Quality TB Care

Universal access to quality TB care is defined as when all TB patients in the community access early, good-quality diagnostic and treatment services in a manner that is affordable and convenient to the patient in time, place and person.

All affected communities must have full access to TB prevention, care and treatment, including: ​

• Women, children and the elderly​
• Migrants and homeless people​
• Alcohol/drug users​
• Prison inmates​
• People living with HIV
• Those with other life-threatening diseases or other clinical risk factors

The figure below delineates the major components of Universal Access to TB Care (UATBC).

Figure: Components of Universal Access to TB Care (UATBC)

Universal Access to TB Care in the Private Sector (UATBC):

At least half of the TB patients in India are treated by private providers. To achieve TB control in India, it is essential to have effective engagement of the private sector. Private sector engagement under UATBC aims for the following:

• Improve TB notifications by offering ICT support to providers
• Offer free TB drugs to notified TB patients
• Extend public health services, such as drug-susceptibility testing, contact investigation and chemoprophylaxis, and adherence support​ to patients diagnosed/treated in private sectors.

UATBC in the private sector will help to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure to TB patients treated in the private sector ​and ensure treatment completion and improved treatment adherence of TB patients.

Resources

• NTEP Training Module 1: Overview of TB Control in India, for Programme Managers and Medical Officers.
• Universal Access to TB Care, Concurrent Assessment Report; CTD and WHO Country Office for India, 2016.

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