Tuberculosis Program

Youth TB patient with mask

SMRU's Tuberculosis (TB) program began in late 2009. We provide diagnosis and treatment services for TB, TB/HIV co-infection and multi-drug resistant TB (MDR TB) for displaced, migrant, cross border populations in Tak province located in Thailand, and Myanmar populations in the Myawaddy district on eastern Myanmar border. Moreover we formed the Tuberculosis Tak Border Initiative (TBBI) consortium in 2012 in order to strengthen the tackling against TB in the border area. The consortium is composed of SMRU, PU-AMI, IOM and Tak provincial public health office. Five Thai hospitals in Tak province; Maesod, Maerama, Phopphra, Tasongyang and Umphang are also our implementing partners for providing TB services to this specific population.

SMRU works in close collaboration with the Mae Tao Clinic for diagnosis and treatment of TB patients that attend OPD or IPD in MaeTao Clinic. 

  • On November 18th, 2015 SMRU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Public Health, Ministry of Health, and the Republic of Union of Myanmar to contribute to the national TB program of Myanmar in Myawaddy Township.
  • Since 2013, SMRU has been able to provide GeneXpert analysis for biological samples from presumptive TB patients and extended activities on Active Case Detection for specific risk groups (contacts of TB patients, HIV patients, and health workers.), and to improve early MDR-TB case detection
  • By the end of 2016, SMRU TB program had provided treatment services to 1400 TB cases, 270 TB/HIV co-infected cases and 84 MDR-TB cases. Despite challenges, we have achieved reasonable outcomes over 81% for treatment success rate. However there remains much work to be continued in order to gain control over TB in this borderland area.
  • In 2016, SMRU ensured case management for a total of 473 new and ongoing TB patients, including 90 patients co-infected with TB/HIV and 47 with MDR-TB. SMRU TB clinics have a capacity of 220 rooms, including isolation rooms for MDR-TB patients. On average, 80% of TB patients are treated in residential care - receiving food, medical care and psycho-social support while 20% of TB patients are followed in their homes under supervised DOT by our team of healthcare workers.
  • In 2017, SMRU started capacity building and active TB case finding in remote villages of Myawaddy Township with a dedicated team who will visit about 45 villages for advocacy, TB awareness and door to door TB screening.
  • Since 2016, SMRU TB program has been supported by UK Aid with grant funding from DFID. SMRU also receives Global Fund support for TB control program in Myanmar.