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Infection Prevention and Control for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in South Africa in the Era of Decentralised Care: a Whole Systems Approach

  • LEAD:
    Dr A Voce
  • TIMELINE:
    August 2017 - July 2020
  • BUDGET:
    GBP74 344 (approx. R1 338 192)
  • FUNDERS:
    The Economic and Social Research Council ( ESRC), in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research ( NIHR), Arts and Humanities Research Council ( AHRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the Department for Environment , Food and Rural Affairs(Defra) and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD)
  • PARTNERS:
    London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Queen Margaret University (QMU), Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University College London (UCL), University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI)

Outline:

The study will employ an interdisciplinary whole systems approach to examine the social, biological and infrastructural dynamics of nosocomial transmission of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and infection prevention and control (IPC) implementation in two provinces in South Africa, with the aim of informing health systems interventions to improve IPC. Study activities will be carried out in health facilities in the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa.

Progress:

Activities for the project:

  • Project support, administration and communication activities.
  • Research objectives supported by UKZN include RQ3 and RQ4, which aim to: assess the effects of clinic design and processes of care on DR-TB transmission risk and IPC; elicit healthcare worker and patient notions of risk and responsibility with respect to IPC practices, and their views of putative interventions to reduce transmission risk.
  • Phase 1 data collection started in November 2018 and was concluded in February 2018, with data generated from 6 facilities distributed across 3 districts in KZN. Phase 2 data collection is in progress.
  • Several project meetings have been held collating and comparing data generated against the diverse research questions, and research sites, both in KZN and WC.