Treat TB

Hannah Alsdurf, Deputy Project Director, had the pleasure of conducting her first TREAT TB project monitoring visit to the Desmond Tutu Tuberculosis Centre (DTTC) and Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa.  During her May 2011 visit, Ms. Alsdurf conducted a financial monitoring of the DTTC projects, and met with a number of key staff members who provided project updates on technical components. Scientific Advisor for The Union, Donald Enarson, was also present in South Africa to oversee the technical monitoring of DTTC.

Site visits began at the Brooklyn Chest Hospital where Ms. Alsdurf joined clinical rounds in order to better understand the Drug-Resistant TB in Children the two TREAT TB-related study components. Ms. Alsdurf also had the opportunity to visit two PROVE-IT LPA sites, namely Delft South and Nyanga clinics. Through these clinic visits, Ms. Alsdurf caught a glimpse of the primary health clinic settings in which the studies are being conducted, and met some of the clinic staff members helping to capture study data. Ms. Alsdurf was impressed by the detailed records kept at each clinic through handwritten registers, and the commitment of the DTTC staff to follow up at each clinic regularly.

In addition, Prof. Enarson and Ms. Alsdurf had the opportunity, alongside the Director of DTTC Prof. Nulda Beyers, to provide Ms. Nellie Gqwaru, Health Development Specialist for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) South Africa Mission, with an update on the progress of the USAID-funded projects.

Image:  Professor Donald Enarson participates in an ORAP workshop at the Desmond Tutu Tuberculosis Centre in Cape Town, South Africa.