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Updated: Jan 2, 2026

An Automated Culture System for Use in Preclinical Testing of Host-Directed Therapies for Tuberculosis
Published on: August 16, 2021
The high-quality health system 'revolution': Re-imagining tuberculosis infection prevention and control
Helene-Mari van der Westhuizen1,2, Ruvandhi R Nathavitharana2,3, Clio Pillay2,4
1Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Radcliffe Primary Care building, Oxford University, OX2 6GG, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
The Lancet Commission on High-Quality Health Systems called for a 'revolution' in the quality of care provided in low- and middle-income countries. We argue that this provides a helpful framework to demonstrate how effective tuberculosis infection prevention and control (TB IPC) implementation should be linked with health system strengthening, moving it from the silo of the national TB programmes. Using this framework, we identify and discuss links between TB IPC implementation and patient safety, human resources for health, prioritising person-centred care, building trust in health systems and refining the tools used to measure TB IPC implementation. Prioritising patient experience has been a recent addition to the definition of high-quality care. In high TB burden settings, the encounter with TB IPC measures may be a TB patient's initial contact with the healthcare system and may cause feelings of stigmatisation. We advocate for re-imagining the way we implement TB IPC, by drawing on the principles of person-centred care through incorporating the experiences of people using healthcare services. Health workers who developed occupational TB also offer a unique perspective: they have both experienced TB IPC and have played a role in implementing it in their workplace. They can be powerful advocates for person-centred TB IPC implementation. Through framing TB IPC as part of health system strengthening and consciously including person-centred perspectives in TB IPC design, measurement and guidelines, we hope to influence future TB IPC research and practice.
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