The first OneStopTB clinic truck has arrived at Zambart House in Lusaka, Zambia! The truck is an all-in-one diagnostic, testing and treatment centre, designed to be taken into remote and difficult-to-reach areas. The truck is part of the TREATS project.
TREATS stands for Tuberculosis Reduction through Expanded Anti-retroviral Treatment and Screening. The project was developed in response to TB and HIV Co-infection and set up by a consortium of organizations (KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Imperial College London, Zambart, Sheffield University, The Union, Health Systems Trust, Delft Imaging Systems and QIAGEN). The trial, called HPTN071, or PopART, is being conducted across 21 communities in Zambia and South Africa, covering around one million people in total.
The OneStopTB truck will be used during the TREATS prevalence survey in eight PopART selected communities to screen and test a total of 32,000 participants for tuberculosis (TB). During field data collection, the mobile clinic will be stationed in each of the communities for three months.
“The arrival of the truck immediately drew everyone’s attention,” says Jeanette Hedstrom, TREATS Study Administrator. “The excitement was palpable at finally receiving the truck.”
The mobile clinic contains a built-in state of the art automated digital X-ray, which provides participants with results within two seconds, as well as a laboratory fitted with a GeneXpert machine, used to detect Mycobacterial Tuberculosis within two hours.
Jeanette added: “Colleagues from Delft, KNCV and HST were all present during the arrival and were just as excited to see the OneStopTB platform mobile clinic.”
A core team has been recruited to undertake the community screenings and tests in the mobile clinic, including: a team leader, radiographer, laboratory technician, data officer and a driver.
The TREATS prevalence survey is now preparing for the arrival of the second OneStopTB clinic truck, which is expected to arrive in Lusaka soon.