SETTING: Zambia, 1995-1997.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the process leading to the collapse of Zambia's National Tuberculosis Programme NTP).
DESIGN: A descriptive analysis of health sector reform in Zambia and its effects on the NTP during the period 1995-1997.
RESULTS: By the end of 1997 the NTP had stopped functioning. The main reason was that external support had ended, while the National Strategic Health Plan 1995-1999 had no budget for special programmes according to the policy to integrate these into the general health services. As a consequence, technical support for tuberculosis control to districts ended as staff was reduced to one officer responsible for the national coordination of AIDS/HIV, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), tuberculosis and leprosy. The most serious effect of the transition was the interruption of supplies of anti-tuberculosis drugs in 1998.
CONCLUSIONS: The experience in Zambia demonstrates the urgent need for constructive dialogue between 'health reformers' and 'disease controllers'. The aim of this dialogue would be to develop a model that ensures that tuberculosis patients are properly diagnosed and cured in countries that are embarking on a reform of their health services.
BT - The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10907762?dopt=Abstract DA - 2000 Jul IS - 7 J2 - Int. J. Tuberc. Lung Dis. LA - eng N2 -SETTING: Zambia, 1995-1997.
OBJECTIVE: To describe the process leading to the collapse of Zambia's National Tuberculosis Programme NTP).
DESIGN: A descriptive analysis of health sector reform in Zambia and its effects on the NTP during the period 1995-1997.
RESULTS: By the end of 1997 the NTP had stopped functioning. The main reason was that external support had ended, while the National Strategic Health Plan 1995-1999 had no budget for special programmes according to the policy to integrate these into the general health services. As a consequence, technical support for tuberculosis control to districts ended as staff was reduced to one officer responsible for the national coordination of AIDS/HIV, sexually transmitted diseases (STD), tuberculosis and leprosy. The most serious effect of the transition was the interruption of supplies of anti-tuberculosis drugs in 1998.
CONCLUSIONS: The experience in Zambia demonstrates the urgent need for constructive dialogue between 'health reformers' and 'disease controllers'. The aim of this dialogue would be to develop a model that ensures that tuberculosis patients are properly diagnosed and cured in countries that are embarking on a reform of their health services.
PY - 2000 SP - 606 EP - 14 T2 - The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease TI - Health sector reform and tuberculosis control: the case of Zambia. VL - 4 SN - 1027-3719 ER -