Arbaminch, Ethiopia – KNCV Ethiopia, through the Unitaid-funded ASCENT DR-TB project in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and the South Ethiopia Regional Health Bureau, has donated essential clinical monitoring tools to five treatment initiating centers (TICs) for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) in the South Ethiopia region in the first week of April, 2025.
The donated equipment included ECG machines with accessories, tuning forks, reflex hammers, Ishihara books, and Snellen charts, to directly benefit people with DR-TB getting care at Arbaminch, Dilla, Sawla, Wolaita, and Jinka TICs, located in Gamo, Gedeo, Gofa, Wolaita, and Ari Zones.
This support addresses existing gaps in these facilities, strengthening their capacity for active drug safety monitoring (aDSM), enhancing clinical investigations, and improving treatment and care monitoring for individuals affected by DR-TB. The provision of these necessary tools will facilitate timely detection, management, and reporting of adverse drug events (ADEs), ultimately ensuring more effective safety surveillance.
ASCENT DR-TB is a Unitaid funded project aiming at creating conditions for accelerating the adoption of safer and more effective treatments for RR/MDR-TB in 8 countries.