Recap – Advancing Patient-Centered Tuberculosis Care in Resource-Limited Settings

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Published on February 22, 2024

On January 17, 2024, Dr. Charity Oga-Omenka, an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo, presented her research on global public health, healthcare access, and health services research, focusing on infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), HIV and COVID-19. Dr. Oga-Omenka's work highlighted a few transformative frameworks and methods to address inequalities in resource-limited settings. She looked at challenges in tuberculosis care highlighting the gaps between healthcare system notifications and actual TB cases.

Her research sheds light on the necessity of comprehensive patient-centred care considering aspects like diagnostic delays, treatment accessibility and the socio-economic impact of TB in communities. The work explored the role of private healthcare sectors in TB care - emphasizing the need for national TB programs to effectively engage the private sector. The seminar also delved into the disparities in TB care access in different healthcare sectors across different regions. The scope covered India, Indonesia and Nigeria.

Dr. Oga-Omenka's research underscores the critical need for continuous research and adaptive policies in combating tuberculosis especially in marginalized communities to ensure equitable healthcare access. The presentation further stressed the importance of addressing the socio-economic factors and healthcare system inefficiencies contributing to the underutilization of available TB care resources. She concluded with a call for more integrated patient-centred approaches and stronger collaboration between public and private healthcare sectors to improve TB care globally.

Overall, the seminar provided valuable insights into the current state of tuberculosis care, the challenges faced in providing equitable access to healthcare and the strategies required for improving TB care delivery in low and middle-income countries. It highlights the need for a more holistic and patient-centred approach to combating tuberculosis and improving healthcare systems globally.

Watch the seminar presentation below: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddsrtMoSQKs)

Connect with Charity Oga-Omenka

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