TB patients need support during COVID19 in Vietnam

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, over 609 million cases and 6.5 million deaths have been reported globally. Although the coronavirus does not represent the same threat as when it first began to spread, it is still a lethal concern that demands social attention. The pandemic has had extensive adverse effects on the global TB responses, threatening to erase years of progress.

In Viet Nam alone, there was a three percent decline in TB case notifications and an eight percent increase in DR-TB case notifications in 2020 compared to 2019.  Despite the negative impacts, the pandemic has forced many TB services to be adapted for worst-case scenarios. Medication delivery and remote monitoring of treatment continue to be adopted by several District TB Units and Commune Health Stations (CHS) after a pilot program conducted by FIT during lockdown periods. Since the second quarter of 2022, FIT has collaborated with local health facilities to conduct 164 mental health counseling sessions and 40 quality-of-life surveys for people with DR-TB. In addition to mental health counseling, a PHQ-9 Depression Test Questionnaire was completed at each session.

Thanks to your generous contributions, our organization was able to provide monetary assistance to hundreds of people enrolled in TB treatment. These donations have allowed our community aid staff to directly counsel and give over 1,800 TB-affected individuals vitamin support and 290 nutritional support packages. They received cash transfers of up to 3,000,000 VND (USD 130) split over three payments on the condition that they adhered to and eventually completed their treatment.

We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to everyone who has contributed to our campaign. Your generosity has directly benefited thousands of families over the course of this project – providing the support they need to complete their treatment. Your ongoing support has been integral to improving the quality of life for the TB-affected community in Viet Nam during these uncertain times.