Table 1.
Improvements in Key Indicators After Introduction of Public-Private Partnership (PPP)–Supported Interventions to Strengthen the Tuberculosis Specimen Referral System
| Indicator | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Before PPP Interventions | After PPP Interventions | |
| Staff members trained on specimen referral system, no. | 0a,b | 724 (649 health facility and laboratory staff; 75 postal staff)c |
| Districts covered by formal training, proportion (%) | 0/111 (0)b | 80/111 (72)c |
| Referral sites mapped by GIS, proportion (%) | 200/900 (22)b | 835/900 (93)c |
| Number of sites referring specimens to NTRL (%) | 50/900 (6)d | 400/900 (44)e |
| Sputum specimens referred, no. | 655d | 5813e |
| Presumptive MDR tuberculosis specimens referred, no. | 84d | 877e |
| Laboratory-confirmed MDR tuberculosis cases, no. | 47d | 71e |
| Specimen transport time, d, median (range) | 12 (1–240)d | 2 (1–82)e |
| Specimens arriving at NTRL within 3 d of collection, proportion (%) | 58/655 (9)d | 5476/5813 (94)e |
Abbreviations: GIS, geographic information system; MDR, multidrug resistant; NTRL, national tuberculosis reference laboratory.
a
No formal training was available.
b
Data are from before 2008.
c
Data were obtained through 2011.
d
Data were obtained during January–December 2008.
e
Data were obtained during January–December 2011.