More information
Description
Through this project we aim to address the issue of tuberculosis at community level in two directions: by creating a community support mechanism for TB patients and people at risk of TB and increasing the organizational capacity of two local TB patient NGOs, ASPTMR branches from Constanta and Dolj. The World Health Organization strongly recommends that the care of patients with TB be accomplished mainly in the ambulatory care to prevent the nosocomial spread of the disease, unnecessary trauma to patients through long periods of hospitalization, burdening the health system with unnecessary expenses, removal from production and community life of TB patients. At this moment, there is no model or mechanism for a community approach to these patients or people at risk of TB, the community services being incomplete, inefficient in approaching the problem. For these reasons, we aim to create a community mechanism to respond to the medical and psychosocial needs of the beneficiaries concerned, to contribute to the early detection of patients, to reduce their stigma, to carry out health education activities and prevention of TB in the community, as well as the activation of community members in contributing materially or through volunteering to increase the quality of life of this category of population. By the end of the project, the two newly established patients’ associations will have developed and piloted a model of community intervention at the level of 20 communities in Dolj and Constanta counties, this being a first step in identifying the best solutions for reforming ambulatory care. In parallel with this activity, the two local associations, together with ASPTMR Romania, will have developed competencies in volunteer management, data protection, financial management and sustainability / fundraising.