Home-based TB care strategies boost preventive treatment uptake among children in Ethiopia
A recent study conducted in Oromia, Ethiopia, offers fresh hope in the fight against childhood tuberculosis (TB).
A recent study conducted in Oromia, Ethiopia, offers fresh hope in the fight against childhood tuberculosis (TB). The research, published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, reveals that home-based contact management led by community health workers (CHWs) increases the number of children starting TB preventive treatment (TPT).
About the study
The research was carried out across 18 primary health facilities in Oromia and compared traditional facility-based care with a home-based approach for managing close child contacts of people with TB. The findings were striking: the mean number of child contacts initiated on TPT per TB client was 40% higher in the home-based arm than those managed through standard facility visits.
Community health workers, in collaboration with TB focal persons, visited households directly, identifying children at risk and initiating treatment on-site. This approach not only improved access but also showed strong treatment completion rates. 73% of children completed their full course of TPT in the home-based arm, compared to 63% in the facility-based group.
This study demonstrates the power of meeting families where they are. By bringing the tools closer to their homes, we bridge the gap between health services and those who need them most.
Importantly, the study reported minimal adverse reactions and no significant difference in treatment failures between the two groups, highlighting the safety and viability of community-based interventions. Additionally, home-based contact management has proven to be a cost-saving alternative for households and provides comparable initiation rates to facility-based care, making it a feasible approach to improve TB preventive treatment accessibility. These and other studies on home-based TB prevention and care are conducted under the CHIP-TB trial.
Preventing TB through person-centred solutions
As the global health community pushes toward TB elimination, this research signals the need to rethink how preventive care is delivered, especially in regions where clinic-based access is limited. Scaling up home-based contact management could be a game-changer not only in Ethiopia but across similar settings worldwide.
In the current global health landscape, we must devote our energy to reaching people where they are, listening to their realities, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against TB.
This study is part of the evidence generated through the IMPAACT4TB Consortium.
About the IMPAACT4TB Consortium
The IMPAACT4TB Consortium is funded by Unitaid and led by the Aurum Institute. The consortium is comprised of the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Johns Hopkins University, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation and the Treatment Action Group (TAG).
The IMPAACT4TB Consortium's efforts to scale up access to these shorter, more palatable regimens represent a vital step toward ending TB in children and adolescents.