The World Health Organization (WHO), Global Fund together with partners and in collaboration with Makerere University supported the Ministry of Health National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Program (MOH/NTLP) to conduct the National Tuberculosis (TB) prevalence survey.  The goal of the survey was to enable the NTLP to gain a better understanding of the burden of TB so as to identify ways of improving TB control in the country.

Further to that, WHO supported a four day meeting to review and provide input to the finalization TB prevalence survey report.  The findings of the survey indicate that the TB prevalence in Uganda is higher at 253 TB cases per 100,000 population than the previously reported estimate of 159 TB cases per 100,000 population based on the 2015 WHO Global TB report. In addition, the prevalence of TB in children is at 36 cases per 100,000 population. HIV among patients with tuberculosis in the community was at 27% which is lower than HIV among TB patients seen at the health facilities at 48%. Key to note, about 41,000 patients with TB are not detected annually. 

These findings will enable MOH/NTLP to design and implement a robust strategic plan to tackle TB in Uganda, while contributing to achieving the African region targets which are to reduce the number of TB deaths by 35%, the number of TB patients by 20% and attain 0% TB-affected families facing catastrophic costs due to TB. Some of the programmatic implications to be considered when developing the strategic plan to ending the TB epidemic in Uganda include but not limited to the following:

• Addressing key barriers in health seeking behavior
• Implementing systematic screening for active TB
• Improving the utilization of current diagnostic tools and
• Ensuring Universal access to Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST).
• Strengthening the existing TB/HIV integrated services 
• Enhancing involvement of the private sector in TB prevention, care and treatment through private public-partnerships
• Stepping up community engagement in TB prevention, care and treatment
• Conducting operational research to boost implementation of TB services.

The NTLP and partners also reviewed the roadmap for dissemination of TB prevalence survey findings and tasked Makerere University to expedite the completion of the survey whose findings will be nationally disseminated. The NTLP requested partners, donors and stakeholders to actively collaborate with the program in strengthening its capacity for effective coordination and leadership.

Below: 

01. Students perform a song to create awareness about TB at the World TB Day commemoration in Kyenjojo district

02. Trends of TB prevalence in Uganda