Request for submission of Good Practices in Prevention and Care of Tuberculosis and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Correctional Facilities of the WHO European Region

In September 2011, the Consolidated Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Multidrug- and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in the WHO European Region, 2011–2015 and its accompanying resolution EUR/R61/R7 were endorsed at the 61st session of the Regional Committee. Subsequently, the WHO Regional Office for Europe has developed new Tuberculosis action plan for the WHO European Region 2016– 2020 based on the ambitious post-2015 global End TB Strategy, which was endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2014 through resolution WHA67.1. The End TB Strategy comprises three main pillars and several milestones, for 2020 and 2025, and targets, for 2030 and 2035, with the goal of ending the tuberculosis epidemic by 2050.

One of the major challenges to successful control of tuberculosis is concentration and transmission of tuberculosis within high-risk populations, including those, in correctional facilities. In the European Region, the tuberculosis notification rate in correctional facilities in 2015 was 1,055 per 100,000 population, 24 times the notification rate in the general population.

In order to facilitate the scale-up of effective interventions in prevention and control of tuberculosis in correctional facilities, and following the publication of the Compendium of Best Practices in Multidrug- and Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis Control and Treatment in the European Region in 2013 and Good practices in strengthening health systems for the prevention and care of tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis in 2015, the WHO Regional Office for Europe is developing a Compendium of good practices in prevention and care of tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis in correctional facilities of the European Region. This new compendium will focus on good practices in implementation of the Tuberculosis action plan for the WHO European Region 2016– 2020. This initiative is critical for enabling countries to share and adopt successful strategies at both national and regional levels.

We invite you to submit any examples of good practice that have been carried out in your country in respect of:

Integrated, patient-centred care and prevention

1. Systematic screening for tuberculosis
2. Early diagnosis of all forms of tuberculosis and universal access to drug-susceptibility testing, including the use of rapid tests
3. Equitable access to quality treatment and continuum of care for all tuberculosis patients released from correctional facilities to civilian system, and patient support to facilitate treatment adherence
4. Collaborative tuberculosis/HIV activities, and management of co-morbidities
5. Management of latent tuberculosis infection and preventive treatment

Bold policies and supportive systems

1. Political commitment with adequate resources, including universal health coverage policy in correctional facilities. Health reform and penal reform aimed to improve tuberculosis control in correctional facilities
2. Health systems strengthening in all functions, including well-aligned financing mechanisms for tuberculosis and human resources
3. Regulatory frameworks for case-based surveillance, strengthening vital registration, quality and rational use of medicines, and pharmacovigilance
4. Airborne infection control, including regulated administrative, engineering and personal protection measures in all relevant healthcare facilities and congregate settings
5. Engagement of Ministries, communities, civil society organizations, and public and private care providers to ensure uninterrupted treatment of TB patients released from penitentiary to civilian system
6. Ethics and human rights applied to TB control in correctional facilities prison
7. Social protection, poverty alleviation and actions on other determinants of tuberculosis

Intensified research and innovation

1. Rapid uptake of new tools, interventions and strategies
2. Research to optimize implementation and impact, and promote innovation

The preliminary draft of compendium will be presented at the 15th WHO/Europe National TB Programme (NTP) Managers meeting in The Hague, on 31 May 2017.

The deadline for submission is 27 April 2017. The selection criteria and submission form are included to that mail.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the consultant for this initiative, Dr Elmira Gurbanova, Head of WHO Collaborative Centre on prevention and control of tuberculosis in prisons at e.gurbanova@prisonhealth.az / elmiragurbanova@gmail.com with copy to Dr Ogtay Gozalov (gozalovo@who.int), Medical officer.