How stigma and social factors affect TB detection and care
Official title: Multi-level and Intersectional Stigma and other Social Determinant Effects on TB Case Detection, Care, and Treatment Outcomes: The MISSED TB Outcomes Study
Funded at Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation · NIH-11031416 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how community and personal stigma and other social barriers affect whether people with TB—many living with HIV—get tested, start treatment, and complete care in South Africa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cape Town, South Africa) |
| Project start | December 1, 2020 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $584,233 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI150485-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11031416 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are household contacts of people with TB in the Cape Town study communities, especially symptomatic contacts and people living with HIV.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not live in the study communities, have no TB exposure, or receive care in very different health systems may not directly benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
We will work in Cape Town communities and follow people who live with someone with TB and symptomatic household contacts who are referred for testing. You may be asked to complete surveys, take part in interviews, and be followed over time to see if you get tested, start treatment, and finish care. The team will combine household-level surveys to measure community attitudes with interviews that explore experiences of stigma and other social challenges. Researchers will link these data to clinical follow-up to find where people are being missed along the care pathway.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to programs that reduce stigma and other barriers so more people with TB (including those with HIV) are diagnosed early and complete treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Qualitative studies have shown stigma affects TB care, but few have measured these effects prospectively across the full care cascade, so this is a relatively new, comprehensive approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation
Cape Town, South Africa Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Medina-Marino, Andrew — Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation
- Study coordinator: Medina-Marino, Andrew
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Improving access to sexual health services and PrEP for men
This study is looking for ways to help heterosexual men aged 15-49 in South Africa better access HIV prevention methods, like PrEP, by understanding what makes it easier or harder for them to get the care they need.
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Finding tuberculosis transmitters in communities with high TB and HIV rates
This study is looking for people who might be spreading tuberculosis (TB) in areas where both TB and HIV are common, using a special device to safely collect and analyze tiny particles in the air, even from those who don’t have symptoms, to help us better understand how TB spreads and find ways to stop it.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.