As part of the Access and Delivery Partnership (ADP), TDR, in collaboration with 27 national tuberculosis programmes and pharmacovigilance departments in Africa, has supported the development of a new training package for implementing active TB Drug Safety Monitoring and Management (aDSM).
Since 2021, TDR, in partnership with the ADP and the WHO Global TB programme, has been supporting the West and Central African Regional Network for Tuberculosis (TB) control (WARN/CARN-TB) to improve the capacity of African national TB programmes to implement aDSM.
A survey of 27 national TB programmes (NTPs) participating in the networks revealed specific barriers and needs for implementing aDSM. One of them was the lack of frontline health care workers’ capacities to detect, manage and report adverse drug reactions.
TB health clinic in Nigeria. Credit: National TB programme of Nigeria
Because of the introduction of new, shorter drug-resistant TB treatment regimens, which require close monitoring of expected side effects, the NTP coordinators of the WARN/CARN-TB discussed the urgent need to strengthen capacities in the region. A WARN/CARN-TB working group was established with representatives of the national TB programmes and of the pharmacovigilance departments to develop (1) a generic guideline and standard procedure for effective implementation of aDSM and (2) a training package to aid specific audiences (health care workers, NTP managers and pharmacovigilance managerial staff) to successfully implement aDSM.
The training package is based on WHO Global TB Programme training materials developed in 2016. This includes background and an overview of aDSM, basic components of aDSM and sessions on implementing aDSM in approximately 25 presentations and interactive sessions. It is available in French and English.
The training package is accompanied by a training guide to serve as a resource document for organizing and delivering the training. Trainers will usually be country focal points with experience in aDSM or pharmacists.
This material is available on the TDR website: Active TB drug safety monitoring and management (aDSM). . It has already been successfully used in Burkina Faso and Senegal.
For more information, please contact Dr Corinne Merle.