UDHA contributes to national TB elimination efforts by strengthening community-based TB screening, household contact tracing, and treatment support. The organization works closely with health facilities and district health teams to improve early diagnosis, treatment initiation, TB preventive therapy, and adherence support across the TB care cascade.

The Uganda Development and Health Associates (UDHA), with funding from the Global Fund through The AIDS Support Organization, continues to support district health teams to strengthen tuberculosis (TB) contact tracing and improve case detection and offer preventive therapy across19 districts and cities in Eastern Uganda. These efforts aim to identify people who may have been exposed to TB early, link them to testing, and ensure timely treatment for those diagnosed and interrupt transmission.

As part of this support, UDHA works closely with District TB and Leprosy Supervisors (DTLSs) and facility teams and community to strengthen routine TB contact investigation. One of the key approaches has been the organization of quarterly TB performance review meetings. These meetings bring together district and facility staff to examine program data, review progress, identify gaps in the contact tracing cascade, and agree on practical actions to improve performance.

In addition to the review meetings, UDHA facilitates DTLSs to conduct on-site support supervision and mentorship at health facilities. During these visits, district supervisors work with health workers to review patient registers, guide teams on proper documentation of contacts, and strengthen follow-up mechanisms for household and close contacts of TB patients. This mentorship has helped improve data quality and strengthened the capacity of facility teams to carry out effective contact investigation.

UDHA also participates in the bi-annual Community Awareness, Screening and Testing Plus (CAST Plus) activities coordinated by the Ministry of Health (Uganda). These outreach campaigns target communities in selected high TB burden districts and bring TB screening, testing, and other health services closer to the population. Through CAST Plus, health workers and community teams conduct active screening, identify individuals with TB symptoms, and refer them for further evaluation and testing.

Recognizing the need to reach populations that often have limited contact with routine health services, UDHA introduced a community screening and testing initiative in 2025 that specifically targets men. The activity is implemented in four districts and cities: Tororo, Mbale City, Iganga, and Jinja City. Community outreaches are organized in areas where men frequently gather, including workplaces, trading centers, and community meeting points. The initiative aimed to improve access to TB screening among men, who are often diagnosed late due to lower health-seeking behavior.

Through these combined interventions, UDHA continues to support districts to strengthen TB contact tracing systems, improve early case detection, TB preventive therapy and expand access to TB services within communities. The organization remains committed to working with district health teams, community structures, and national partners to accelerate progress toward ending tuberculosis in Uganda.