Improving TB care and prevention in rural South Africa
SAIA-TB: Using the Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach (SAIA) to prevent TB in rural South Africa
This project will use a clinic-level systems approach to strengthen TB screening, treatment, and prevention for people in rural South Africa, especially household contacts and people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chestnut Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11503046 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I live in rural South Africa, this project will help clinics use simple tools to find and follow people with TB and support home visits to screen household members. The team adapts a systems approach called SAIA to map where people are lost in care and changes clinic steps to close those gaps. They will work with local clinics and health workers to pilot the approach and measure whether more people are diagnosed, start treatment, and complete care, including preventive therapy for those at risk. The goal is to reduce missed diagnoses and stop TB from spreading in communities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people in rural South Africa who are household contacts of someone with TB, people living with HIV, and patients attending participating local clinics.
Not a fit: People outside the participating clinics or regions, those in urban areas not included in the project, or individuals unable to engage with clinic or home-visit activities may not directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, more people could be diagnosed and complete TB treatment or receive preventive care, reducing illness and transmission in rural communities.
How similar studies have performed: SAIA and related systems approaches have improved HIV and other care cascades in prior trials, so this builds on promising implementation work.
Where this research is happening
Chestnut Hill, United States
- Boston College — Chestnut Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Van de Water, Brittney Jayne — Boston College
- Study coordinator: Van de Water, Brittney Jayne
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 below.