As countries move towards achieving universal health coverage, efforts to engage all care providers have
gained more significance.
Over a third of people estimated to have developed TB in 2017 were not detected and notified by national
TB programmes (NTPs). This gap is more pronounced in countries with large private sectors, especially
those with a high burden of TB. Seven countries with large private sectors account for 63% of the world’s
3.6 million missing cases: in these countries, public–private mix (PPM) is the primary strategy for finding
them.
Health care providers outside the scope of NTPs, including the private and informal sector, are often the
first point of care for TB patients. However, these providers are not fully engaged despite evidence from
country experiences and projects that demonstrate increased detection and good treatment outcomes
through PPM approaches.
Unless all relevant health care providers are effectively engaged in the TB response, it will not be possible to achieve global or national End TB goals.
While constraints and challenges are not to be underestimated, there is ample evidence that all kinds of
providers can be effectively engaged to offer high quality TB services.
The investment case for initiatives to engage all health care providers is also compelling.
10 key actions are required to scale up the engagement of all care providers towards universal access to
care. NTPs and their partners, in collaboration with the private sector, must:
