The extended ASCENT project, with added funding, will boost its original goal to lower the impact of TB by decreasing cases, deaths, and financial burdens. It will do so by creating the conditions for accelerating the adoption of safer and more effective RR/MDR-TB regimens in the context of a comprehensive quality care package in 8 countries through:
- Tailoring assistance: ASCENT will work with partners to address gaps identified during assessments, complementing their activities and resources, avoiding duplicate efforts. Country roadmaps will be updated and specific support will be offered for implementation and scale-up of RR/MDR-TB regimens within a comprehensive care framework.
- Community partnerships: community structures will be supported to raise awareness, enhance treatment literacy by PwTB, and advocate for accessible and person-centered care. This project will also complement other projects that are advancing work led by communities and civil society.
- Stakeholder engagement and capacity building: Through coordination, ASCENT will share best practices to hasten the global, regional, and project-country adoption of novel RR/MDR-TB regimens.
- Market shaping: Interventions in collaboration with participating countries and organizations will shape markets to ensure global affordability of WHO-recommended diagnostics and essential drugs.
While all countries are gearing up for the programmatic use of BPaLM regimens, they vary in their implementation progress, requiring support at different levels with specific technical assistance needs. ASCENT will tailor supportive actions to achieve the best outcome per country context, and ensure relevant work of Unitaid’s projects is supporting a holistic approach and best outcomes.