Improving TB prevention and care in rural South Africa
SAIA-TB: Using the Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach (SAIA) to prevent TB in rural South Africa
This project uses clinic-level systems tools to help find, prevent, and treat tuberculosis for people and households in rural South Africa, including those 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-11405516 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you or someone in your household uses a clinic in rural South Africa, this project will help clinics use simple systems tools to close gaps where people are lost in TB care. The team will adapt the SAIA approach for TB, work with clinic staff to map care steps, run small tests of change, and track outcomes like screening, diagnosis, treatment start, and completion. The project includes home visits and screening of household contacts to find people with active or latent TB, with special focus on people living with HIV. The aim is to make it easier for patients to be diagnosed, get preventive care, and finish treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are household contacts of someone with TB, people living with HIV, and clinic patients in the rural South African communities where the program runs.
Not a fit: People outside the participating clinics or geographic area, or those without recent exposure to someone with TB, are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could be diagnosed and started on preventive or curative TB treatment more quickly, leading to fewer infections and better treatment completion.
How similar studies have performed: SAIA approaches have improved HIV and other care cascades in prior projects, and the team has piloted TB adaptations with promising early results.
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.