This report is part of a series of three reports published by the Health Communication Partnership (HCP), in the HCP's "Health Communication Insights" series, which explores issues related to advances in strategic health communication.

One report summarises the lessons learned from both Peru and Vietnam, based on conclusions from two more in-depth reports: "The Role of Health Communication in Vietnam's Fight Against Tuberculosis" and "The Role of Health Communication in Peru's Fight Against Tuberculosis".

Vietnam exceeded targets set by the World Health Organization (WHO) of detecting 70% of infectious TB cases and curing 85% of those by the year 2005. According to this report, its success was based on a number of factors, including political commitment, adequate clinical services, trained personnel, key partnerships, and, most importantly, integrated communication activities with consistent messages conveyed through a variety of reinforcing channels.

From the Executive Summary
"An effective and widely accepted strategy for TB control — the Directly Observed Therapy - Short Course, or DOTS — is an effective and widely accepted strategy for TB control. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a global target of detecting 70 percent of infectious cases and curing 85 percent of those by the year 2005. Few countries are able to expand DOTS coverage to enough people to meet those targets. The main constraints to achieving the global targets include lack of political commitment, insufficient and ineffective use of financial resources, neglect of human resource development, poor health system organization, poor quality and an irregular supply of anti-TB drugs, and weak communication components in TB control programs.

Despite these obstacles, a few countries have succeeded in reaching or exceeding the global targets. Vietnam is one of these success stories and strategic communication played a major role in helping it surpass the global targets. There are approximately 145,000 new cases of TB each year in Vietnam, and about 20,000 deaths each year are due to TB-related causes. Between 1995, when the TB program became a national priority, and 2002, Vietnam expanded DOTS coverage and exceeded the WHO targets for detection and treatment. According to an evaluation of the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) for the World Bank, Vietnam achieved nationwide DOTS coverage in 1999, and, between 1997 and 2002, detected 82 percent of the estimated number of new infectious cases for the six-year period, well above the WHO target of 70 percent. Also during this period, more than 89 percent of cases were cured, again exceeding WHO’s target of 85 percent.

...This report describes how Vietnam achieved its success, with a particular emphasis on the role of strategic health communication. The report includes an analysis of lessons learned and implications that may help other developing countries in their fight against TB. The report was compiled by reviewing reports from Vietnam’s National Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, as well as key informant interviews with Ministry of Health staff; the National Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases; Vietnamese policymakers; representatives of international organizations working in Vietnam; leaders and staff engaged in TB program activities at the provincial, district, and commune levels; and interviews with TB patients and their families."

Click here to download the Peru report.

Click here to download the summary report.