Project profile — Accelerating Detection of Tuberculosis

Results achieved as of the end of the project, March 2016, include: (1) 144 projects were funded in 46 countries to test and demonstrate new and innovative approaches to improve tuberculosis (TB) case detection and treatment; (2) active efforts to prioritize and identify cases of tuberculosis among children, mining-affected communities, migrants, indigenous populations, ethnic minorities, prisoners, and hard to reach populations were made; (3) supported a range of innovations, including mobile phone health screening tools and public-private partnerships; (4) contributed to the detection of over 1.9 million people with tuberculosis in project areas and 89% of them were put on treatment; (5) leveraged US$100 million of additional funding to sustain or expand successful initiatives funded by TB REACH; (6) delivered conference presentations and published 37 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles to share results and lessons learned; (7) facilitated the introduction and assessment of a new diagnostic tool (Xpert MTB/RIF) in various settings, contributing to the evidence base for a new World Health Organization (WHO) policy on the use of the test; (8) detected 104,087 additional cases of TB (after adjusting for historical trends) that would otherwise have remained undetected, unreported, and untreated; and (9) saved an estimated 900,000 lives as a result of increased detection and treatment of tuberculosis. These results have contributed to global efforts to help reduce the global burden of tuberculosis.