Ghana – Integrated Case-finding approach for TB, HIV & COVID-19 in Mining Communities with OneStopTB Clinic
An integrated mobile case-finding approach for TB, HIV, and COVID-19 was implemented in 58 rural mining communities in the Western, Eastern and Ashanti Regions of Ghana. It leveraged the NTP’s OneStopTB mobile clinic, equipped with digital X-ray, CAD4TB, and GeneXpert testing, to reach high-risk and symptomatic community members.
Integrated symptom screening
High-risk community members underwent combined screening for TB, HIV, and COVID-19.
AI- and symptom-based triage
Clients meeting symptom criteria or with CAD4TB scores above 60 were identified for further testing.
Multi-disease diagnostic testing
GeneXpert was used for TB testing, while rapid diagnostic tests supported HIV and COVID-19 screening.
Linkage to care
Clients with positive results were referred for confirmatory testing or care at district hospitals.
Between October 2022 and March 2023, 5,475 people were reached through community outreach,
- 104 COVID-19 cases and 109 HIV infections were identified, 30 of which were previously diagnosed.
- Sputum samples were collected from 596 (11.02%) clients, yielding 36 MTB+ cases.
- The deployment of integrated diagnostic services proved effective in identifying cases of TB, HIV, and COVID-19, partly owing to germane symptom presentations, and may benefit similar resource-limited settings.
REFERENCE: Quakyi, N. K. (2023, November 15-18). Implementation of integrated mobile case-finding for TB, HIV and COVID-19 in rural mining communities in Ghana [Conference session]. The Union World Conference on Lung Health 2023, Paris, France.