Today is World TB Day, with Yes, We Can End TB as the theme for 2023. Digital Adherence Technologies (DATs) are designed to support people infected with tuberculosis (TB) in taking their medication. Compared with the traditional directly observed treatment (DOT) approach, these tools allow people to take their medication at a place and time convenient to them while remaining connected to their healthcare provider. With the help of DATs, we believe we have all the tools and knowledge to end TB. Now is the time to scale up our global response and ensure everyone has access to the proven, lifesaving tools to fight TB.
Objective of Technical Brief
From January 2021 to December 2022, the Unitaid funded ASCENT (Adherence Support Coalition to End TB) project supported over 17,000 people during their TB treatment using digital adherence technologies in Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ukraine, and the Philippines. Healthcare providers in more than 230 health facilities were trained on the use of 3 technologies as a tool to support their patients during the completion of treatment, namely the medication sleeve/label (99DOTS), the smart pill box (MERM) or video supported treatment (VST). These three DATs were linked to an online adherence platform (the Everwell Hub) which is accessible via tablet or computer by the healthcare provider to provide remote support and identify patients who may need additional support.
Download the Technical brief
Based on the experience of implementing digital adherence technologies at scale in five different contexts, this technical brief serves to highlight and summarize the ASCENT project implementation experiences with the technologies before the final research from the ASCENT project is published.
The Unitaid-funded and supported ASCENT project is led by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with The Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and PATH.