Strategies to resolve the gap in adolescent tuberculosis care at four health facilities in Uganda: The teenager’s TB pilot project

In 2021, an estimated 10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis (TB) globally and 11.3% were children. About 40% of children aged five to fourteen years with TB are missed annually. In Uganda, 44% of adolescents with chronic cough of more than two weeks do not seek care from health facilities. This research project utilized a before and after design to compare the number of adolescents (10-19years) enrolled in project health facilities before and after intervention. The intervention package comprised tuberculosis awareness and screening information developed together with adolescents using a human-centred approach, consisting of TB screening cards, poster messages and a local song. The study collected socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of eligible adolescents over six months from Kawolo, Iganga, Gombe and Kiwoko health facilities.