Strengthening health systems to improve tuberculosis contact screening and management in Timika, Indonesia

This doctoral thesis is a health system strengthening project being conducted in Papua province, Indonesia, to improve tuberculosis control. Tuberculosis is a leading public health problem in Indonesia, with a high death rate including in children. In Papua province, a baseline scoping activity demonstrated that no implementation was occurring of the national policy on screening and treatment of contacts of TB cases. This PhD aims to fill this knowledge-practice gap using implementation science methods.

The policy will be implemented at five TB healthcare facilities, using a range of approaches to improve healthcare provider and patient knowledge and adherence to the guidelines. Successful policy roll-out will lead to improved identification and screening of household contacts of infectious TB cases, appropriate management of any cases of active TB thus identified, and TB prevention with isoniazid preventive therapy in those eligible to receive this (chiefly, children aged <5 years, who are most vulnerable).

The project is occurring as part of Menzies School of Health Research’s Tropical Disease Regional Research Collaborative funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.