In the Zakarpattia region, the Ukrainian Red Cross team provides medical and psychosocial support to patients with tuberculosis
The programme “Increasing the Adherence of Patients with Drug-Sensitive and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis to Treatment by Providing Medical and Psychosocial Support” currently supports 725 individuals. It covers TB patients living in six districts of the Zakarpattia region: Uzhhorod, Mukachevo, Berehove, Khust, Tiachiv, and Rakhiv.
As part of the programme, patients receive a range of services designed to support and motivate them to complete the full course of TB treatment, including both inpatient and outpatient care. The programme is available to both adults and children (with parental consent).
Each patient is assigned a social worker who conducts a needs assessment, evaluates their psycho-emotional state, and develops a psychosocial support plan that includes various types of services.
Patients in the programme receive:
- food parcels;
- mobile phone top-ups;
- hygiene kits;
- reimbursement for transport services;
- psychological consultations;
- legal services;
- counselling on treatment adherence and treatment monitoring;
- home medication monitoring.
The programme also provides a sitter or governor, as well as psychological assistance and psychocorrection.
Additionally, the programme screened 116 individuals from among the contacts. During the examination, five people were diagnosed with tuberculosis for the first time.
The programme is implemented by the International Charitable Foundation “Alliance for Public Health” with funding from the Global Fund.