The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ethiopia recently completed a successful three-year program to identify, treat, and cure people living with tuberculosis (TB) in urban areas in Ethiopia, while increasing the capacity of local health organizations to serve TB patients. USAID/Ethiopia’s $4 million (over 215 million Birr) Urban TB Local Organizations Network activity worked in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Addis Ababa City Administration, Dire Dawa City Administration, the Harari Regional Health Bureau, and seven community-based organizations.
Over the past three years, this efficient and effective USAID TB treatment activity reached over 235,000 people in urban areas of Ethiopia with TB testing and other services. As a direct result of the project, over 14,300 people were tested for and diagnosed with TB, treated, and completely cured of the disease. USAID’s Urban TB Local Organizations Network activity worked alongside USAID’s ongoing Eliminate TB project, which is striving to end TB in Ethiopia entirely by 2030.