Implementing Comprehensive HIV/STI Programmes with Sex Workers Implementing Comprehensive HIV/STI Programmes with

6 Programme Management and Organizational Capacity-building Box 6.6 Case example: Expanding scope and layering on tuberculosis screening services in India TB is prevalent in India and is a common opportunistic infection among HIV-infected individuals. In 2007, after comprehensive HIV prevention services had been scaled up over a period of three years, the Avahan India AIDS Initiative, in partnership with the country’s national TB programme, conducted intensified case-finding of sex workers through verbal screening for TB symptoms during routine outreach by community outreach workers and regular clinic visits. Sex workers with symptoms suggesting TB were accompanied to the TB diagnostic centre and, if necessary, to a DOTS (directly observed treatment – short course) treatment centre. In order to train community outreach workers to do this, low-literate tools were developed, including visual aids, such as flash cards, posters and a video. The TB verbal screening activity was easily incorporated into the community outreach workers’ tracking tools, helping to ensure routine implementation during outreach. Over a period of three years, from April 2008 to March 2011, more than 18,000 individuals were identified as TB suspects from an estimated denominator of 300,000 and were referred to a TB diagnostic centre. Of these, 17% were diagnosed with TB. depicted in Figure 6.6, along with the level of data that was used as part of the review. It should be noted that community committee meetings and regular supervision meetings between community outreach workers and their supervisors/managers are two ways in which qualitative as well as quantitative data about the programme may be gathered. This is an important part of the community empowerment process described in Chapter 1. Further functions of supportive supervision include: • motivating and training staff • sharing guidelines • monitoring and evaluating staff performance • managing day-to-day challenges • facilitating organizational support. 159

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