SMART4TB Supports Research in South Africa Focused on TB Prevention and Early Treatment
9 September 2024
Studies led by local, early-career researchers are linked to national public health priorities
BALTIMORE AND SOWETO, September 9, 2024 — The Supporting, Mobilizing, and Accelerating Research for Tuberculosis Elimination (SMART4TB) Consortium is proud to announce the launch of two innovative operational research projects to improve TB prevention and early treatment in contacts of people with TB. The studies, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), followed a call for proposals from South African investigators to develop concepts for advancing the South African National TB Program’s research priorities.
“We’re thrilled to advance these important, locally developed concepts, all while nurturing the growth of early career investigators,” said Dr. Neil Martinson, executive director of the Perinatal HIV Research Unit in Soweto, South Africa and SMART4TB Consortium member.
The first study, Participatory Approaches to Strengthen Implementation of Contact Tracing and Treatment for TB or PACT-TB, will characterize barriers and enablers to delivering contact tracing and treatment services in Khayelitsha, Western Cape, and using participatory research methods, will co-develop interventions to increase contact tracing, testing and treatment. “TB Proof is passionate about partnering with communities affected by TB to advance implementation of the latest research,” remarked Ingrid Schoeman, PACT-TB lead and director of TB Proof, an advocacy organization started in 2012 by health workers who developed occupational TB. “And as a TB survivor myself, the chance to lead a research project to improve TB detection and prevention in people who are at high risk from close contact with TB is especially meaningful.”
The second study, led by Thobani Ntshiqa, a PhD candidate affiliated with the Aurum Institute, will evaluate the prognostic value of tuberculosis infection tests in predicting progression of infection to active TB disease among people who have close household contact with someone with TB. “TB preventive therapy uptake is stubbornly low in South Africa, with only 6% of household contacts of people with TB starting treatment,” noted Ntshiqa. “Predicting the progression of tuberculosis infection to active disease would help triage, prioritize and optimize the delivery of preventive therapy strategies among household contacts in high TB and HIV burden settings.”
A call for proposals released in December 2023 solicited applications for innovative operational research related to TB prevention, treatment and care to assist and support the National TB Program’s Research Priorities for TB in South Africa. The call targeted investigators who received their most recent degree within the last 10 years or are new to TB research. SMART4TB received more than 10 applications, which were carefully reviewed by a panel of 16 independent reviewers, representing SMART4TB technical experts, leaders from research and policy organizations and a South African member of Afrocab, one of SMART4TB’s regional community advisory boards.
“Both of these projects reflect some of our country’s biggest challenges in TB and their results will influence our strategies for detection and prevention going forward,” said Professor Norbert Ndjeka, chief director: TB Control & Management at the National Department of Health in South Africa.
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The SMART4TB Consortium brings together experts in TB tools development, implementation science, capacity strengthening, civil society engagement and policy translation. Led by Johns Hopkins University, consortium members include University of California, San Francisco, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation and Treatment Action Group.
SMART4TB is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this press release are the sole responsibility of SMART4TB and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government or consortium collaborators or members.
Source: SMART4TB
