The Union Opens DR Congo Country Office

Main Category: Tuberculosis
Also Included In: Respiratory / Asthma;  HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 20 May 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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The Union is opening an office in Kinshasa to support its TB, TB-HIV and other collaborations with the National Tuberculosis Programme, Ministry of Health and other partners.

After several years of working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, The Union decided, in consultation with the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP), that it was time to open a representative office in Kinshasa. The Union's goal is to strengthen its partnership with the NTP and the Ministry of Health by building a greater day-to-day knowledge of the issues they are facing regarding tuberculosis, respiratory health and AIDS. This initiative will also help The Union and its partners to document lessons learned in the field and understand how to adapt international strategies to the Congolese context.

The Union and the NTP are working together on the IHC programme (Integrated HIV Care for Tuberculosis Patients Living with HIV / AIDS), which has been funded by the European Commission and takes place in North Kivu. The partners are implementing a research project on the operational feasibility of managing HIV-TB co-infection using the health staff at basic health facilities that offer a screening service and treatment of tuberculosis and AIDS. The Union, La Ligue Nationale Anti-Tuberculeuse and the NTP are also collaborating as part of the TB CAP (TB Control Assistance Program), which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Finally, The Union supports the NTP in other areas, including management of its health information and exchange experiences with other African countries with funding from the Agence Française de Développement . It also supports the participation of NTP representatives in international training and funds their participation in world conferences on tuberculosis, where they are regularly asked to present the results of the DRC's programme.

Source
WHO

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