DR-TB is a complex disease that requires multiple medications taken for up to 20 months to treat and cure. Even after successfully completing treatment, some DR-TB patients may relapse or have disease recurrence. To increase early detection, USAID’s Support to End TB project has provided assistance to the National TB Program to develop new treatment standards, including a new model to ensure follow-up for an additional 24 months after treatment completion. Identifying patients who relapse or recur after initial treatment will protect them against worsening disease progression and prevent on-going community transmission.
USAID is committed to helping Vietnam meet its goal to end TB by 2030. Strengthening DR-TB follow-up care will reduce relapse and recurrence, reduce community spread, and improve treatment outcomes for a challenging disease that can be cured and prevented.
