KNCV Self-assessment checklist and planning tool

Assessing the opportunities and barriers for programmatic introduction of the shorter regimens with KNCV Self-assessment checklist and planning tool

The latest World Health Organization (WHO) recommended treatment regimens for people with multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) are shorter, safer, all-oral and more effective than before. Many countries started the introduction of these regimens for programmatic use and wide-spread access to these shorter regimens will positively improve DR-TB treatment outcomes. However, if these regimens are not well-managed, interruptions of treatment may lead to unfavorable individual treatment outcomes and the rapid occurrence of TB strains resistant to these regimens. Therefore, important conditions for the eventual success of the shorter regimen should be implemented in programmatic conditions including proper diagnosis of TB and adequate monitoring and management of adverse events.

In order to benefit from these regimens, in many countries, national TB programs, together with their stakeholders, need to assess the status of implementation of the programmatic management of drug-resistant TB and plan for introduction and nation-wide scale-up of these regimens while strengthening their existing management of drug-resistant TB. In this process they can make use of the lessons learned by earlier implementers; while implementing their plans their experiences are valuable to document to share with others and feed into for future WHO recommendations.

KNCV has developed KNCV’s Self-assessment checklist and planning tool to strengthen programmatic management of drug-resistant TB and facilitate the rapid and effective introduction of the latest WHO guidance, at the same time prepare for upcoming WHO recommendations. The self-assessment checklist is meant to serve as a basis for discussions, brainstorming, strategic planning and assessing the DR-TB policies, their availability, service delivery and stakeholder coordination towards alignment with latest WHO recommendations.

The self-assessment checklist assists national TB programs and their partners to self-assess and quantify the implementation of the WHO recommendations on the management of DR-TB linked to a planning section. It consists of a short data collection section and standards with their associated benchmarks. The standards are statements about the characteristics that define DR-TB care delivery in the program that is aligned with the latest WHO policies. This tool guide countries to identify policy, implementation, and technical assistance gaps, develop interventions and allocating tasks to overcome gaps and develop a roadmap for introduction and nationwide implantation of the latest WHO guidance on the management of drug-resistant TB.