NTP - BANGLADESH

TB control in the workplace in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, TB is still a major public health problem. The development of TB control has taken place in the context of health sector reform, with significant involvement of NGOs and the private sector. The partnership of NGOs in the delivery of TB services has been a key component of Bangladesh's success on combating TB. The institution of TB control in the workplace is essential for the businesses and the workers. The workplace is ideal for workers to receive TB treatment. For business management, workplace TB care services can save costs by reducing absenteeism and staff turnover through prompt diagnosis and treatment. In Bangladesh, Youngone Sports Shoe Industries Ltd has demonstrated that TB control activities at the workplace can be a reality. Sustained high-level management and company commitment resulted in a successful plan for prevention and control of TB among employees. Key challenges, however, remain how to operationalise TB DOTS to those business sector organisations in order to increase access to, and to ensure standardised TB treatment. This project, therefore, aims to develop an operational mechanism for effective sustainable TB control programme in the workplace situations in Bangladesh. The specific objectives of the study are:

• To review and understand the current service provision of TB care in the selected business sector organisations; example garment industries.
• To develop a process to establish a mechanism for involving the management of the business sector with the national TB control programme;
• To assess the effectiveness of the mechanism in terms of case findings and treatment success.