Effective Measures taken by Angola towards Eliminating Tuberculosis

Highlights

•  Angola has introduced strategies for reducing tuberculosis incidence through rapid detection and multi-drug treatment approaches.

• To improve patient compliance, Angola has implemented a 9-month treatment plan and expanded Directly Observed Treatment (DOTS) programmes.

The pandemic’s has had far-reaching effects on Africa’s healthcare sector, with gaps in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as tuberculosis (TB). It has led to a decline in disease diagnosis, treatment initiation, and patient follow-up, resulting in worsening treatment outcomes along with an increase in TB transmission rates.

Angola’s Ministry of Health has unveiled the National Strategic Plan for Control of Tuberculosis 2023-2027, outlining its plan-of-action to eradicate the disease. The country has implemented strategies such as rapid detection and treatment using multiple drugs to reduce tuberculosis burden. It has also adopted a 9-month treatment regimen and expanded Direct Observed Treatment (DOTS) programmes to ensure better patient compliance. Angola also plans to adopt a 6-month treatment regime in the medium term with additional partner support.

Angola is one of 30 nations across the world with the greatest TB burden. Cases of multidrug-resistant/rifampin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB) have added to the challenge in curbing the disease’s prevalence. The COVID-19 epidemic and the measures put in place to counteract it have caused severe disruptions in Angola’s health-care system. Patients struggled to gain access to healthcare facilities amid irregular delivery of necessary medicines. The situation caused a decline in the diagnosis rate and rise of multidrug-resistant TB.

Since 2018, Italy’s Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) has supported CUAMM in Angola. Together, they work to improve TB diagnosis and treatment. Between 2021 and 2023, ISS led a study on COVID-19’s impact on TB services. They designed electronic medical records (EMRs) to help Angola shift from paper to digital data collection.

Angola’s National TB Control Plan recorded 63,000 to 77,000 TB cases annually from 2018 to 2022. Reported cases dropped by 15.5% in 2020 and by 18.3% in 2021 compared to 2019. In 2022, cases remained 12% below 2019 levels. The pandemic lowered treatment starts, reduced treatment success, and raised relapse rates. Relapses rose by 20% in 2020 and by 22% in 2021.

Luanda, Angola’s capital, reports fewer new TB cases. ISS-developed TB software tracks TB trends in Luanda. The system, used at five health centres, monitors patient progress and supports care continuity. It also assesses treatment outcomes.