#ItsTime to End TB

Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from an infectious disease. JSI leads the USAID-funded Tuberculosis Implementation Framework Agreement (TIFA) project, which supports national TB programs. TIFA supports NTPs to lead their own epidemic response to TB by fostering country commitment to accountable governance of these programs. As a key element of USAID’s “Global Accelerator to End Tuberculosis,” TIFA works with national TB programs and country partners to co-design and implement TB commitment grants.

TIFA supports USAID’s journey to self-reliance –this effort puts countries in the driver’s seat of this epidemic to develop locally-generated and sustainable solutions. This approach is based on the tenet that countries know what they need to address TB—and that technical depth within national TB programs is significant and central to meeting critical goals. Through this process, governments are galvanized to increase their investments in TB control.  

Grant recipients determine not only how they will implement their grants, but how activities will be sustained over time. As they become more experienced in managing TB Commitment Grants (TCG), they will also add measures for increasing their own investments in activities, improving sustainability. 

TIFA’s goal is to strengthen and sustain country ownership and accountability by providing support and capacity development to national TB programs so they can meet key milestones and manage each grant. 

JSI believes that National TB Programs and other grant recipients are most successful when they are invested in the design of their grants. And success is the only option if we are to end the TB epidemic in the next 10 years. JSI’s innovative TCG co-design process promotes active involvement of national TB programs or other local entities in the conceptualization and development of grants. This co-design process brings together NTPs and USAID Missions to mutually agree on priority activities for locally generated solutions–to develop a concept paper and identify milestones and a process to verify achievement. 

It’s time to end TB. We can achieve a world free of TB—JSI believes supporting self-reliant national TB programs puts this end in sight.

Written by: Jennifer Pearson

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USAID’s TB business model, the “Global Accelerator to End Tuberculosis,” contributes to meeting the ambitious United Nations (UN) target of treating 40 million people for TB by 2022. JSI plays a key role in the Global Accelerator through both TIFA and the TB Data, Impact Assessment and Communications Hub (TB DIAH) project. The Tuberculosis Implementation Framework Agreement (TIFA) project is led by JSI with partner Open Development.