Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic, infectious, debilitating disease, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium. It is a public health problem and all cases must be notified to the Provincial/City Medical Director in terms of the Public Health Act. 

Control of Tuberculosis - TB policy

More information of National Policy and the organisation of TB services is available in various TB resource documents, including but not limited to: Tuberculosis and Leprosy Management Guidelines, Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DR-TB) and the Zimbabwe National TB Strategic Plan. 

The essential points of the TB policy are:

• Rapid molecular diagnostics (Xpert MTB/Rif/Xpert MTB/Rif Ultra) are the preferred diagnostic test for all patient undergoing TB investigation. 
• TB medicines are provided free of charge in the public health sector
• TB services are available and integrated at all levels of the health delivery system 
• Collaborative TB/HIV activities are to be ensured at all levels

An important emphasis of the TB programme is the direct observation of treatment (DOT), which is the practice of a treatment supervisor watching the patient taking their daily doses. A supervisor can either be a Health Care Worker or a trained member of the community. Notification, registration, record keeping and contact tracing activities - in addition to treatment - are key to the success of the programme.