26 Feb 2015

The MAATLA project responsible for the Community Tuberculosis Care (CTBC) has been hailed for the reduction of deaths and decrease of TB patients.

The TB focal nurse at Thito Clinic, Ms Norah Mfaso said the project, which started in 2012 at Thito Clinic in Maun, had recorded two deaths in three years period it had been running. Ms Mfaso was briefing Unites States (US) Ambassador to Botswana, Mr Earl Miller, who had paid a visit to see how the project was doing.

Furthermore, Ms Mfaso said the MAATLA project had eased the screening and tracing of TB patients’ family members from 59 people in 2012 to 105 people in 2014. Also, she said since the MAATLA project started, there were noticeable improvements in TB treatment and no recorded patients’ defaulters.

The CBTC was a project that is a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the civil society such as BOCAIP, USAID and FHI360. Ms Mfaso pointed out that the project was significant since the health facilities had shortage of staff members.

He said BOCAIP volunteers’ assistance to patients at their respective homes could not be overlooked.

The US Ambassador, Mr Miller thanked all stakeholders involved in the fight against TB through the MAATLA project.

He pledged his Embassy’s continuous support towards the fight against TB, which he said was a battle for human race and not only in Botswana.

The BOCAIP national coordinator, Ms Irene Kwape said the CTBC had proved that civil societies, communities and clinics could work together. 

Ms Kwape noted that the project alleviated the problem of shortage of health personnel. 

She said the project aims to capacitate BOCAIP and strengthen TB and Gender Based Violence (GBV) messages amongst others. 

Currently, BOCAIP is funded by USAID through FHI360 in the implementation of MAATLA Project. 

The goal of MAATLA project is to significantly and sustainably strengthen the capacity of civil society sector in Botswana in order to support HIV and AIDS and related health service delivery. ENDS