Allowances for nutritional support help patients stay strong to fight TB.
Photo credit: University Research Co.

In 2009, Ruhul Amin from Chittagong, the port city of Bangladesh, began to experience a persistent cough and fever – typical symptoms of tuberculosis (TB). He tried medicine from a local pharmacist; when they did not work, he was referred for a sputum test and diagnosed with TB. Unfortunately, Ruhul’s TB did not respond to the routine treatment or the follow-up therapy. After additional investigations, he was finally diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), often caused by irregularly taking anti-TB drugs.     

Due to a shortage of beds at the hospital, Ruhul had to wait 10 months before starting his treatment there. After a short stay at the hospital, he was transferred home to complete his TB treatment under a community-based treatment model to increase early access to MDR-TB treatment. The model had been introduced in Bangladesh by TB CARE II, a project supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The project supports a DOT (Directly Observed Treatment) provider to administer drugs and provide other clinical support to the patient on a daily basis. A small monthly allowance for nutritional support helped Ruhul stay strong and fight the disease. Receiving treatment at home allowed him to get continuous care and mental support from his family members.

The long wait for correct diagnosis and treatment not only delayed Ruhul’s recovery – he lost his small business and ran into debt to support his family. In August 2013, after 20 months of strict adherence to the treatment regimen, Ruhul was declared cured of the disease. He has since restarted his business and is leading a healthy, productive life. The patient-centered support provided by the project was critical in his being able to beat TB.