Review Meeting held on Second Round National Anti TB Drug Resistance Surveillance

The Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute, EHNRI in collaboration with CDC-Ethiopia has conducted a review meeting on the Mid Term Second Round National Anti TB Drug Resistance surveillance from 22 to 23 October, 2012, at Hawassa, Tadess Injori Hotel.

The midterm review meeting that is conducted to discuss with partners on the progress of the project is also intended to share experiences and provide refresher training for the health professionals, who are working in 32 sentinel sites.

During the opening session of the meeting, Dr. Almaz Abebe, Director of the Infectious and Non Infectious Diseases Research Directorate of the Institute said that the second round national anti TB drug resistance surveillance is very important in providing a reliable estimation regarding the prevalence, pattern and trends of anti-Tuberculosis drug resistance in Ethiopia.

It is learned that, the information which will be obtained from the survey will help the Ministry of Health to plan the right strategy for the prevention and control program of tuberculosis disease through out the country.

On his presentation on overview of the first countrywide anti-TB drug resistance survey in Ethiopia, 2003 and 2006, by TLCP and EHNRI, Dr. Eshetu lemma, Principal Investigator of the project indicated that it is able to collect additional variables than the first round which includes HIV status history of IPT for HIV positive clients.

the project,  which is carried out across the country by cluster based sampling technique based on WHO recommendations, encountered different challenges that includes slow progress of enrolling smear positive patients, incompleteness and high turnover of staff from the sentinel sites said, Dr. Eshetu.

However, it is reported that the project progress is still in a good status, and if more done by adjusting and correcting those encountered problems, it will be able to achieve goals in accordance with the schedules.

In addition to presentations on the strength and weakness of the project, participants of the meeting have also discussed and suggested on the project progress and arranged to do all efforts for the success of the second round anti TB drug resistance surveillance project.

The survey will have a significant contribution to the ongoing tuberculosis control in Ethiopia and to the knowledge of the global anti TB drug resistance control efforts.