Challenges in TB diagnosis and treatment: the Kavieng Provincial Hospital experience, Papua New Guinea

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

This research was conducted as part of the first Operational Research Course for Tuberculosis in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The specific training programme that resulted in this publication was developed and implemented by the Burnet Institute (Melbourne, VIC, Australia) in collaboration with the PNG Institute of Medical Research (Goroka) and University of PNG (Port Moresby), and supported by the PNG National Department of Health Emergency Response Taskforce for MDR and XDR-TB, the National TB Programme and Western Provincial Health Office, Daru, PNG. The model is based on the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT), a global partnership led by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO/TDR).The authors acknowledge the support of the New Ireland Provincial Government, the New Ireland Provincial Health Authority, and the Kavieng Provincial Hospital management. The authors especially thank the facilitators who assisted in the formulation of this paper, including S Majumdar, G Chan, and L Gonzalez; the individuals who allowed this study to be conducted, S Hiasihri, A Wangnapi, C Penny, M McLee and B Otoa; all the study participants and the TB DOTS clinic staff. The training programme was supported by the Australian Government, as part of the Tropical Disease Research Regional Collaboration Initiative, Strengthening regional research collaboration in the prevention and containment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and malaria, a regional consortium led by the Menzies School of Health Research (Darwin, NT, Australia) and the Burnet Institute (Grant 1132089). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.