Improving TB screening in rural, undernourished communities
Official title: Closing the Tuberculosis Diagnosis Gap in Rural and Malnourished Populations
Run by University of Virginia · NCT06971952 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether giving conditional cash transfers to households of people starting drug-sensitive pulmonary TB in rural Tanzania increases screening of household contacts and measures how undernutrition affects progression to active TB.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 360 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Virginia Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Haydom, Manyara Region) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | September 1, 2028 |
| Study ends | September 1, 2030 |
| Registry record updated | May 5, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06971952 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are people of any age diagnosed with drug-sensitive pulmonary TB who live in the Haydom Lutheran Hospital catchment area, start TB treatment within two months of enrollment, and whose households are willing to participate.
✕Probably not a fit
People receiving TB care outside the catchment area, those who have already completed household screening, or individuals with drug-resistant TB are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This prospective interventional cohort will enroll 360 people with drug-sensitive pulmonary TB (index PWTB) and their household members within two months of treatment start in the Haydom Lutheran Hospital catchment area. Households will be offered conditional cash transfers in addition to the usual facility-based approach to encourage household contact screening, and the study will track screening uptake and the costs of the intervention. The study team will measure nutritional status among household contacts to estimate undernutrition prevalence and quantify how severity of undernutrition influences progression to active TB. The project is planned for three years total with a two-year enrollment period.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, cash incentives could increase household contact screening, leading to earlier TB diagnosis and treatment and potentially reducing transmission and illness in rural, undernourished populations.
How similar studies have gone: Conditional cash transfers and other incentive programs have improved uptake of health services, including TB screening and treatment adherence in some low-resource settings, but results vary by context and are not uniformly proven.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Index person/people diagnosed with drug sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis disease (PWTB) and starting TB treatment within 2 months of enrollment, of any age. * Index PWTB are eligible if they reside within the catchment area of Haydom Lutheran Hospital (HLH), and * Index PWTB intend to receive TB care at a participating study site. * Index PWTB (or their parent or guardian if index PWTB are \<18 years) and head of household (if different from index PWTB) are able and willing to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to provide informed consent, or assent when applicable. * Residing or receiving TB care outside of the catchment area of study sites * Prior completion of TB screening procedures for all household members.
Where it's running
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Haydom Lutheran Hospital
Haydom, Manyara Region, Tanzania Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Tania Thomas, MD MPH — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Ghassan Ilaiwy, MD MPH
- Email: tmq5gp@uvahealth.org
- Phone: 434.297.9460
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.