The USAID Tuberculosis Innovations and Health Systems Strengthening (TBIHSS) project is a five-year initiative designed to bring a dynamic and strategic approach to accelerate the fight against tuberculosis (TB) in the Philippines and to implement health processes and systems that help the country achieve its targets for TB elimination by 2035.
TBIHSS has these objectives:
- Identify approaches to maximize case detection and health-seeking behavior.
- Integrate and institutionalize practices to improve treatment adherence and quality of care.
- Create a supportive environment encompassing the continuum of TB prevention to care.
Ongoing environment and climate change focus
Grounded in our recognition that air pollution influences TB susceptibility, we are leveraging the TBIHSS project to examine the intersection between TB and climate change, specifically air quality. Through the project, FHI 360 is running a three-part webinar series focused on the nexus of air pollution and TB, assessing health facilities and engaging the local health sector in global discussions around climate change. The webinar sessions convene leading national and international organizations, key government departments, stakeholders from the private sector and educational institutions, and experts in the fields of environmental protection, TB and the broader health sector. Our goal is to identify and promote local experts and existing sources of knowledge on the topics of air quality and TB, and to facilitate the sharing of information among decision-makers and influential organizations.
Through the TBIHSS project, we have worked closely with our partners to:
- Gather local research and expertise on the link between air quality and TB outcomes.
- Facilitate dialogue, collaboration and a more coordinated response between experts from the health care industry and experts from the fields of environment and climate change.
- Pilot an innovative assessment to assess the extent to which hospitals are green and safe, with regards to air quality and within the context of natural disasters.
