Fast Track the Cure and Partners Launch New Community Engagement Initiative for DR-TB Care in Nepal
Trishuli Plus Community Action Group, in collaboration with Nepal’s National Tuberculosis Control Center (NTCC), has launched a new initiative to strengthen community engagement around newer drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) treatments and support more patient-centered care across Nepal.
The project, “Strengthening Community Engagement for BPaLM/BPaL Treatment Uptake and Patient-Centred Drug-Resistant TB Care Across Nepal,” is being implemented under Fast Track the Cure (FTTC) with support from TB Alliance. It aims to expand access to accurate treatment information, support uptake of shorter DR-TB regimens, and strengthen the role of communities and people affected by TB in shaping care.
The initiative was formally introduced through an inception and coordination meeting that brought together Trishuli Plus, NTCC and other stakeholders to align on priorities and establish a foundation for implementation.
WHO-recommended BPaLM and BPaL are shorter, all-oral treatment options for eligible people with multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant TB, and Nepal’s national DR-TB guidance includes these six-month regimens within defined clinical eligibility criteria.
However, national policy and clinical availability alone do not translate to widespread access to improved treatment. People affected by TB still face additional barriers to accessing care, such as misinformation, stigma, uncertainty about treatment, financial and social challenges, and difficulty navigating care systems. Community organizations and TB survivors can help bridge these gaps by making treatment information easier to understand, connecting people with services, identifying barriers, and bringing lived experience into program design.
Representatives from Trishuli Plus Community Action Group, the National Tuberculosis Control Center and partners come together during the inception and coordination meeting for the Fast Track the Cure initiative in Nepal
A central focus of the Nepal initiative will therefore be strengthening the role of communities as partners in the TB response. The project seeks to deepen collaboration among the national TB program, health facilities, local governments, civil society organizations and people affected by TB to support more responsive and accessible DR-TB care.
Treatment literacy will also be a priority. Community engagement activities will help people better understand newer DR-TB regimens, ask informed questions, recognize the importance of clinical follow-up, and know where to seek support, while treatment decisions remain with qualified healthcare providers following national guidance.
This project is intended to establish the foundation for coordinated implementation of shorter DR-TB treatment across Nepal. Through the initiative, Trishuli Plus, NTCC and partners will work to strengthen community participation in Nepal’s DR-TB response and help ensure people affected by TB are informed, supported and included in decisions that shape their care.