Completed Projects

Community Mobilization to increase TB Case Detection

Dhaka is the fastest growing mega city in the world with an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 new migrants mostly arriving to city from countryside annually and about 35% of Dhaka's population lives in slums with unhygienic environments like poor drainage systems, inadequate or nonexistent sanitation, and piles of uncollected garbage and inadequate supply of drinking water which cause the population to be affected by tuberculosis, diarrhoea, typhoid and other health problems. There are numerous slums in around the Dhaka City where several millions of illiterate and low literate people who are unaware of many basics of preventing communicable and non-communicable diseases.

BCCP undertook an intervention in 5 large slums areas in Mirpur of Dhaka City Corporation where about 195,000 people live and nearly two-third of the total population in these slums work in garment industries who often refrain from taking TB diagnosis services owing to fears of being vulnerable to stigmatization. Research has shown that "common people would not like to associate with TB patients for fear of transmission" making people with TB reluctant to seek diagnosis and care.

The objective of the program is to increase access to quality TB services. The specific objectives of the program are to increase case detection through active case finding, referral for TBservices, expanding DOTS follow-up, strengthening communication and counseling skills of the service providers and ensuring adherence to treatment standards; and, undertake activities at community level for improving community knowledge and awareness about prevention of TB and MDR TB, empowering communities to overcome social barriers and counter stigma; engaging communities in identification of people with TB symptoms, and mobilizing community resources for diagnosis of TB suspects.