A global community of practice to improve public-private engagement in TB: the TBPPM Learning Network

In many high-TB-burden settings, most people seek initial care from private providers who are often not integrated into national TB programmes. Public-private mix (PPM) strategies are therefore critical, yet difficult to operationalise. Communities of Practice (CoPs) can act as health system enablers and facilitate knowledge exchange, but empirical evidence on their long-term function in disease specific contexts is limited.

We conducted a mixed-methods descriptive analysis of the TBPPM Learning Network (LN) from 2019 to 2025. Quantitative data from routine platform analytics were triangulated with thematic analysis of 53 webinars and 9 Friday Forum topics.

The LN engaged over 6,000 TB professionals across more than 130 countries, with over 75% from low- and middle-income countries. It adapted rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthened South-South exchange, and supported leadership development among frontline implementers. Six key lessons were identified, including the importance of sustained facilitation, community-building, and adaptability, alongside persistent challenges in translating learning into action in resource-limited settings.

A global virtual CoP can function as a scalable mechanism to support knowledge translation, capacity strengthening, and collaboration in complex TB health systems, but sustained investment is required to translate learning into policy and practice.