Scaling-up diagnosis and treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Khayelitsha

A new report details the early success of a joint pilot project diagnosing and treating patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) at primary care in Khayelitsha, South Africa, by Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the City of Cape Town, and Provincial Government of the Western Cape. 

Most DR-TB transmissions occur among undiagnosed, untreated individuals. The Khayelitsha DR-TB Programme shows how a patient-centred, decentralised healthcare model can lead to improved case detection and treatment outcomes, leading to a reduction of DR-TB transmission, says Dr Jennifer Hughes, MSF's DR-TB Project Coordinator.