Lets fight TB together – Republic of Moldova (ASRM)

Name of the activity: Lets fight TB together

Country/NMO: Republic of Moldova (ASRM)

Program: Communicable Diseases

Type of the activity: Education

Focus area:

Prevention of Communicable Diseases | Tuberculosis, Work to increase rate of Vaccination, Reduce incidence of Antimicrobial Resistance

Problem statement:

TB re-emerged as a public health threat in early 1990s, after the breakdown of the Sovietic Union, and its burden remains high in Moldova. According to the latest WHO estimates for 2013, TB incidence was 159 per 100 000 population, which is the one of higher levels among the 53 countries of the WHO European Region. The WHO case detection rate registered in Moldova was 81% in 2013. According to the national TB program (NTP) notifications data, there were a total of 5 055 TB cases; out of these, 3 604 were new cases ( 88,5 per 100 000). TB mortality rate was 11.2 per 100 000 population in 2013. The epidemiological situation is more challenging in Transnistria where he rates of indicators are higher than country average ( according to the NTP in 2013 the notification rate of all TB cases was 158.7 per 100 000 in Transnistria, compared to the average in Moldova 124.2. TB mortality rate in Transnistria was 20.1 per 100 000, compared to the average in Moldova 11.2).
The burden of anti-TB drug resistance is one of the highest in the world representing the key challenge for the NTP and the main obstacle for effective TB control in the country. WHO estimates that the number of MDR-TB cases among notified TB patients was 1700 in 2013.
The Government of Moldova is committed to fighting the disease and increasingly allocates financial, human and infrastructural resources for this purpose.

Target groups and beneficiaries:

Different groups of population (from student of Medicine University to pupils). In target group – social vulnerable people.

Objectives and indicators of success:

To ensure carrying out informational activities on TB among population a volunteers will be hired to provide 120 informational meetings on TB for different groups of population from selected districts of Moldova in March- June 2018.
The project goal is to empower high school students to provide emergency first aid to peers and other citizens in their communities.
The project activities are:
1. To encourage volunteerism and civic action in districts through medical students’ involvement into emergency medical training for youth.
2. To strengthen emergency medical and practical skills of about 1,500 high school students from 30 high schools through practical training.
Description: This project aims to provide with first-aid basics skills to about 1,500 high school students through practical training delivered by 40 volunteers – students and residents from “Nicolae Testemitanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy in the Republic of Moldova. To achieve the proposed result, ASRM will train the 40 volunteers, who will conduct the on-site practical training for 1,500 school students from 30 high school in a peer to peer manner.
The project aim and objectives will be obtained by following steps:
I. First stage:
a) Develop action plan for project implementation.
b) Sign Memorandum of Understanding with three relevant institutions – partners.
c) Conduct a project laughing roundtable
II. The second stage:
a) Select 30 students/volunteers from “Nicolae Testemitanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova for training
b) Conduct one-day training with 30 University volunteers.
c) Select educational institutions for first-aid training and prepare teams for practical training.
III. The third stage:
Conduct immediate medical aid training in 10 high schools.
IV. The fourth stage:
Conduct immediate medical aid training in 20 high schools.
V. The fifth stage
Conduct the final roundtable
VI. The sixth stage
Develop final report
Implementation timeframe for this project is July 16, 2018.

Methodology:

Conducting a roundtable to launch project activities with about 30 students and residents of the “Nicolae Testemitanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy from the Republic of Moldova, high schools, authorities, donors, partners, and media.
The first three activities will be completed by April 17, 2018
Select 30 students/volunteers of Moldova State University of Medicine. ASRM will competitively select 30 students/volunteers among students and residents of the University. A selection committee will analyze participants’ files and conduct interviews with applicants. Selection will be done by the project implementation team.
Conduct one-day training in fighting and control TB like communicable disease medical aid. One professor from the University department of Phthisiology Training of “Nicolae Testemitanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy from the Republic of Moldova will organize a one-day training for selected volunteers.It will be focused on educational methods in the field of etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment/profilaxy . The professor will monitor correctness, content and the ability of the students to apply the obtained knowledge and train high school students on the subject.
Selection of the institutions will be provide by voluntaries in the region where they are from.
These activities will be completed by May 31,2018

Conducting trainings in fighting and control TB for 4,500 high school students. ASRM will organize trainings for around 4,500 high school students. Interested school teachers and parents will be invited to participate how to react in case if they meet somebody with TB and how to protect yourselves. For the efficient realization of this one , will be used posters, brochures and presentations to familiarize necessary information.
Each training will last 60 minutes: 50 minutes reserved theoretical part, 10 minutes – for questions. Each schooling will be attended by pupils plus teachers, parents and 1 trainer/volunteer. Each participant will receive printed informational materials. Number of trained population at each educational institution will vary from 40 to 60 based on the number of students of each institution. Trainings will be provided during work days after school classes end.
These activities will be completed by May 31, 2018.

Conducting a project evaluation meeting
ASRM will conduct a final project evaluation meeting with around 30 participants – volunteers, representatives of the educational institutions and regional authorities. The meeting will be aimed at discussing the project results and potential collaboration in future. ASRM will continue to collaborate with selected schools promoting fighting and control TB among youth and teachers, according to the signed memorandum of collaboration, in this way ensuring project sustainability.
This step will be completed before June 20, 2018.

Develop a final report that summarizes the project activities, by June 30, 2018.

Plans for evaluation:

We create questionnaires which contain a certain number of general questions about TB. The draft question is based on a necessary level of knowledge about TB in population. these questionnaires are handed out to people for two times.
At the first time people must fill in questionnaire before the presentation in order to estimate people’s informing in certain region of country. At the second time representer hands out questionnaires after presentation in order to estimate assimilation of information and in this way for efficiency of our activity.
Besides the questionnaires the lecturer asks questions during presentation and makes dialogue to embrace more attention from listeners and make them more interested on this activity. The main goal of our activity is to rise the level of people’s knowledge around the country.