A USAID-supported lab in Zambia uses new technology to improve TB diagnosis 

A "Riders for Health” delivery driver picks up a sputum sample from a clinic in Zimbabwe.
Photo credit: TB Care

“I had sputum positive TB in 2003 and I was successfully treated. Early this year, I had a chronic cough for 3 weeks, and I thought that I had TB again. I submitted my sputum sample and within 24 hours, I had my results. Luckily, it was negative. Thanks to this system many TB patients are going to be diagnosed and treated on time before they get too sick.” Presumptive TB client, Kuwadzana clinic, Harare city

A reliable and efficient system for transporting TB specimens (e.g., sputum samples) is essential for effective TB patient care, allowing for more rapid diagnosis, initiation of treatment, and patient follow up. Despite recent improvements in Zimbabwe’s TB laboratory infrastructure, a significant proportion of rural populations live far from sites where TB microscopy is performed. To address this bottleneck in TB diagnosis and care, USAID partnered with Zimbabwe’s existing transport system (Riders for Health) to launch a dedicated TB specimen transport system in three major cities in Zimbabwe, including the capital city of Harare.

Under this system, riders on motorcycles transport TB specimens from health facilities to diagnostic centers on a daily or weekly basis and deliver laboratory results back to the relevant health facilities. Due to this intervention, the time needed to provide an accurate TB diagnosis dropped from two to three weeks to only one to two days in urban settings and seven days in remote rural areas.

The transport system also generated renewed trust in the national health system among the communities served, which is essential in order for patients to seek treatment when they become ill. Following the successful completion of this three-city pilot project, USAID expanded the service to cover 24 districts. The system currently consists of 42 motorcycles which