In a study published in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, our colleagues at the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and the Respiratory Society of Kenya evaluated the feasibility of implementing a “7-1-7” timeliness metric for screening and initiating TB preventive therapy (TPT) among household contacts (HHCs) of index patients with tuberculosis (TB) in Kiambu County, Kenya. Over six months in 12 health facilities, 95% of 508 index patients had their HHCs line-listed within 7 days, and 68% of 1,115 HHCs were screened for TB within one day. Only 62% of eligible HHCs initiated TPT within 7 days, compared with 58% in a historical cohort. Main barriers to TPT uptake included HHCs not presenting for treatment or being unwilling to initiate TPT, and drug shortages. Health care workers reported that a timeliness metric was valuable for streamlining management and proposed “3-5-7” as an alternative.
