Talaku TB BMSF Funded Project

TALAKU TB received funding from BMSF to implement a project titled ‘Strengthening Institutional and Civil Society Organization’ to support its goal of having sustainable improvement in the lives of hard to reach communities and underserved populations. Through the project, TALAKU carried out activities in TB and HIV advocacy, communication and social mobilization.

Project Activities

Awareness creation, defaulter tracing, increase uptake of TB screening and HIV testing services,
Initiating psychological support systems for TB/HIV support groups,
Strengthening community health facility linkages and TB/HIV services.
Developing the capacity and operations of the organization,
Monitoring and evaluation of project activities,

What was achieved through the BMSF Supported Project?

The organization reached 50,733 people through its outreach activities during market days, meetings with public service drivers and motorcycle riders and community awareness creation activities. Through these activities the community was enlightened about the signs and symptoms of TB/HIV. A total of 27,796 were screened for TB out of which 177 were referred to health facilities for treatment.

Ten TB support groups were successfully set up for TB/HIV clients on treatment. The groups are involved in income generating activities like buying shares and giving loans to members with interest to gain profit for the support group. The groups also support the very sick members on treatment with food and provide counseling.

100 TB cough monitors were identified and trained from sub-locations in the county,

40 Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) and staff were trained on Engage TB and TB/HIV collaborative activities,
384 contacts were traced by the CHVs whose index were smear positive TB. 50 of the contacts were found to have infected smear positive TB, 47 had interrupted treatment and were traced back to treatment,

A total of 5000 condoms were distributed and 4275 IEC materials with information on TB were distributed. The organization also strategically erected 20 signposts with TB messages in Kajiado town and its environs.

Modification of Maasai houses to have larger windows for proper ventilation as one way of TB prevention and care,

Facilitated the confinement of three defaulters who had refused to take their TB medication with the help of public health officers and prison police. They were charged with willfully spreading TB hence being a risk to the society,

The project successfully highlighted the neglect by nurses of a young girl who was co-infected. The Ministry of Health held a meeting with the nurses to ensure that all patients have equal access to care.

A community member while listening to the TALAKU Outreach group during a market day realized he had symptoms and signs of TB. He was referred to a health facility and was diagnosed positive for TB bacterium. Subsequently he took the initiative to take his family for TB screening. A woman was also diagnosed with TB after watching a skit and TALAKU visits her to counsel her on the importance of adherence to treatment.

Through TALAKU’s awareness creation activities with public service vehicle drivers, four bus conductors were screened and put on TB treatment;

More Maasai women and men are declaring their TB status and this has greatly reduced the stigma and discrimination towards persons infected with TB;

In spite of the tough terrain and poor road network, the project was implemented as planned;

Lessons Learnt

The importance of having referral forms, defaulter and contact tracing forms,
Community Health Volunteers need to record all their field activities for effective monitoring of their performance;
An organization should have all the accounting books for proper financial management.
All project requirements should be in place before implementation of activities to minimize interruptions;
Implementing partners should be well briefed on all the reporting tools before the start of the project to enable provision of accurate information;