Ending the TB epidemic relies on strong pharmaceutical systems and services that ensure universal access to the best available diagnostic, prevention, and treatment tools.
In recent years, significant donor and global TB community support has led to encouraging developments, giving low- and middle-income countries better diagnostic, prevention, and treatment tools to increase case detection and improve outcomes. Sustainable, equitable access to effective, safe, quality-assured, and affordable treatments requires that countries have a well-functioning national pharmaceutical system. MTaPS can help.
MTaPS supports countries and the international TB community in reaching the global goal of ending TB by following the four pillars of the US Government’s global TB strategy:
- Improve access to high-quality, patient-centered TB, drug-resistant TB, and TB/HIV services
- Prevent TB transmission and disease progression
- Strengthen TB service delivery platforms
- Accelerate research and innovation
MTaPS helps countries:
- Mobilize stakeholders and build coalitions, including the private sector, to improve governance, policy analysis, advocacy, and consensus building to strengthen pharmaceutical management systems for TB
- Work with national authorities to improve policies and regulations that support the goals of national TB control programs, including expedited authorization for new TB medicines and strengthening quality assurance programs
- Improve information for decision making on TB program management, patient care, and access to diagnostics and medicines through the availability and interoperability of electronic tools, data warehousing, and analytics
- Link TB information systems with national health management information system platforms and dashboards such as DHIS 2
- Roll out existing open-source electronic platforms, including those developed and widely implemented with USAID investment such as e-TB Manager as a comprehensive management information system platform for TB, QuanTB for forecasting and managing the supply of TB medicines and accelerated phasing in of new TB medicines and regimens, and the Pharmacovigilance Monitoring System (PViMS) for active pharmacovigilance (PV)
- Develop national strategies for rapid adoption, introduction, and implementation of new TB diagnostics, medicines, and regimens
- Provide hands-on assistance in the development of phase-in/phase-out supply plans for new TB medicines and management of obsolete TB medicines, including market access analysis, forecasting, quantification, and procurement
- Establish functional early warning systems and dashboards to prevent stock-outs, overstock, and waste of TB medicines and supplies
- Improve patient safety and efficacy of new TB medicines and regimens by introducing electronic PV tools integrated into national PV systems and through timely management of adverse events
- Transition the financing of medicine supplies from donor support to national funding, including developing competitive procurement processes and establishing group purchasing mechanisms and pharmacy benefits programs
- Develop national capacity for all aspects of pharmaceutical systems management, including implementation of national and regional knowledge exchange platforms, open-source tools exchange, formal and on-the-job training, development of curricula for local training institutions, and linkages with the private sector
- Assist governments in developing and implementing strategies for financing and optimization of TB services, including engaging private-sector service providers
Download MTaPS TB factsheet
For more information, contact:
Senior Principal Technical Advisor, TB
Andre Zagorski
[email protected]
