Thailand - Stop TB Partnership

• Develop and disseminate media and patient-friendly informational materials,
including targeted materials and strategies for reaching vulnerable groups.
• Compile and publish the performance records of regional and district TB control
activities to allow for public scrutiny of the quality of services available.
• Improve support and training for village health volunteers and family members
who deliver important services such as assisting health workers with the distribution
of TB drugs and follow-up with patients.
• Develop programs and procedures to invite and encourage greater participation
in TB control activities by affected communities, particularly by persons who have
recovered from TB.
• Provide direct support to NGOs that have proven effective in HIV/AIDS service
delivery and advocacy to integrate TB into their activities and programming.
The current national context of budget reductions and austerity measures makes
additional government funding unlikely for advocacy, communication, and social mobilization
programming—activities that are often considered nonessential. International funding
to the Ministry of Public Health, NGOs, and research institutions for collaborative activities
in this area could provide a critical source of support, and also spur greater civil society
involvement and public attention to TB without raising the risk of replacing the allocation
of government funding for core TB control services.
PUBLIC HEALTH WATCH MONITORING REPORTS 37