International

Adaptation and Implementation Guide for WHO Contact Investigation Recommendations 2015

On World TB Day 2015, a new document Recommendations for investigating contacts of persons with infectious tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries: Adaptation and Implementation Guide was released.

Adaptation and Implementation Guide for WHO Contact Investigation Recommendations 2015 Cover This Adaptation and Implementation Guide is intended to provide general guidance and present examples of experiences in implementation of contact investigation in low- and middle-income set­tings. The World Health Organization (WHO) policy document Recommendations for Inves­tigating Contacts of Persons with Infectious Tuberculosis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, published in late 2012, presents definitions and recommendations for what should be done for contact investigation; this new doc­ument presents suggestions and examples of how the recommendations can be put into operation.

The WHO Recommendations for investigating contacts of persons with infectious tuberculosis in low- and middle-income countries and the associated Adaptation and Implementation Guide were developed by TB CARE I in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This Adaptation and Implementation Guide was written by Elizabeth Fair, Cecily Miller, and Philip Hopewell of Curry International Tuberculosis Center/University of California, San Francisco and with substantial input from our collaborators as noted above. Development of the document was coordinated by Fran DuMelle (ATS).

View the Adaptation and Implementation Guide, 2015 (PDF)

WHO Recommendations for Investigating Contacts of Persons with Infectious Tuberculosis in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, 2012

International Standards for Tuberculosis Care

International Standards for Tuberculosis Care CoverDeveloped by the Tuberculosis Coalition for Technical Assistance (TBCTA) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), theStandards describe a widely accepted level of care that all practitioners, public and private, should seek to achieve in managing patients who have, or are suspected of having, tuberculosis. The Standards are intended to facilitate the effective engagement of all care providers in delivering high-quality care for patients of all ages. Edition 1 of the Standards was released in 2006 and stated that it should be viewed as a living document.  The original 17 standards grew into 21 standards in the revised ISTC Edition 2 released in 2009. A further revision has been made in the ISTC Edition 3, released in 2014.

View the Edition 3 English version

The Patients' Charter for Tuberculosis Care

The Patients' Charter for Tuberculosis Carr CoverDeveloped by the World Care Council in tandem with the International Standards for Tuberculosis CareThe Charter outlines the rights and responsibilities of people with tuberculosis. It empowers people with the disease and their communities through this knowledge. Initiated and developed by patients from around the world, The Charter makes the relationship with healthcare providers a mutually beneficial one.

Download English version (PDF, 1.0 MB)

Download Spanish version (PDF, 1.0 MB)

ISTC Handbook and ISTC Training Materials

ISTC Handbook and ISTC Training Materials Cover

Under the leadership of CITC's Principal Investigator, Dr. Philip Hopewell, UCSF/CITC and the American Thoracic Society have been working with five countries (Kenya, Tanzania, India, Indonesia, and Mexico) to develop the next implementation phases of the International Standards for Tuberculosis Care (ISTC).

The emphasis of the ISTC and The Charter is on care, more specifically patient-centered care, and serves as a complementary yet new approach to TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment, education, and management. The next phase involved the creation of an ISTC Handbook (The Handbook).

Download ISTC Handbook (PDF, 1.0 MB)

The ISTC Training Materials provide educational tools to assist national TB programs and other public and private TB providers to effectively adapt the Standards to country-specific needs. These materials were also revised in 2009 and Edition 2 of the TB Training Modules, Facilitator’s Guide, and other materials are now available. 

Edition 2 ISTC TB Training Materials

Guidelines, Statements & Standards on Tuberculosis (version 8)

Compiled by Madhukar Pai and Philip Hopewell, SFGH, University of California, San Francisco, February 2005.

Download guidelines (PDF, 79 KB)