The Ministry of Health National TB, Leprosy, and Other Lung Disease Desk conducted a six-month performance review.

The program conducted a six-month performance review in Arba Minch town from March 18 to 20, 2025. The meeting aimed to evaluate the six-month performance, share the best practices, identify potential implementation challenges, and develop an action plan.

 During the meeting, the National Program, all regional health bureaus, police, defense, and prison administrations, along with implementing partners, presented their six-month performance. Based on these presentations, various discussion points were raised, and further detailed discussions were held by region.

The review underscored the program’s performance in tuberculosis prevention and control during the first six months of the 2017 EFY.  

• Tuberculosis treatment coverage reached 83% nationally.
• 90% of registered TB patients were successfully treated. 
• A total of 71,255 cases of all forms of TB were identified and treated, with 34,239 of these confirmed as bacteriologically pulmonary TB cases.
• 88% of the registered TB patients were tested for HIV, and 92% of HIV-positive TB patients were linked to ART.
• 73% of bacteriologically confirmed TB patients accessed DST services, and the DR-TB detection rate was 28%.
• TPT coverage for those under 15 reached 64%, while the treatment completion rate was 91%.
• The age group between 25 and 34 years old is disproportionately affected by TB cases for both genders.
• The community system contributed 21.5 % of TB cases, and private health facilities contributed 19% of the nationally reported TB cases

The review meeting successfully raised and discussed several key issues, including the status of GC7 grant implementation, the low detection rate of drug-resistant tuberculosis, data quality problems, enhancement of community-based TB care, the engagement of private health facilities in TB care and prevention, GeneXpert module failures, challenges with sample referrals, domestic resource mobilization, and budget shortages. The CCM/E secretariat engaged in these discussions and facilitated certain parts of the meeting.

Finally, all regions identified program implementation gaps and developed an action plan for improvement.