“It’s an exciting time for Operation ASHA as we have completed three successful years in Cambodia and we will continue to grow and adapt, remaining always adaptable, motivated and responsive to TB Patients.”

Operation ASHA, plays an important role in delivering services to the community, at patients door steps, by doing active case finding, counseling patients and their families, creating awareness among community and monitoring patient treatment and doses.

We will continue to strive hard in increasing case notification of TB patients and linking them with treatment. We’re transforming the way we operate to continuously improve our ability to eradicate TB, by increasing active case finding, better coordination and bringing effective collaboration with government and partner organizations. Our employees and partners have continued to meet challenges from the field and to excel despite continuous challenges.

We should all be very proud of where we are today and excited about where we are headed.

The world of TB is an exciting area, meeting and bringing inspired people together in a forum is essential.

To ensure that our organization remains at the cutting edge we have organized a consultation meeting on 17th of September in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The meeting was to disseminate our learning and achievements so far. We want to continue to learn and improve further.

Since technology is playing an important role in all walks of life, we use technology towards increasing our efficiency in treatment outcomes and data monitoring by using eCompliance biometrics in Cambodia.

The eCompliance biometrics tool has already proved its success in India in enabling community health workers to accurately follow-up with all patients. Therefore, we selected the same theme for the technical consultation – “Use of Technology in Tuberculosis”.

The meeting was attended by CENAT, WHO, the World Bank, ADB, USAID, UNAIDS, URC, and many other well-known organizations. A panel discussion was also organized to learn innovative ideas to plan future strategies with these topics:

• Paving the Way Forward for Tuberculosis in Cambodia: Doing it faster, better and cheaper
• Documenting and monitoring the catastrophic patient costs of TB care and links to the social determinants of disease
• “TB-sensitive” health care financing and social support schemes through increased public private partnership and
• Bridging the gap, comprehensive approach towards eliminating Tuberculosis, together with partners with the representatives of USAID, WHO and USAID.

The panel was chaired by Dr. Mao Tan Eang Director, National Center for TB and Leprosy Control.

Our event was also picked up and featured by the local media partners – TV3, Radio FM 103, FM 88, Radio Free Asia and Hang Meas Radio and HDTV station.

A short video and a photo exhibition capturing TB patients and the interventions by Operation ASHA, was screened at the meeting, and it was the center of attraction for the participants. Overall the event was successful, with the participation and the discussions put forth by the panelists and participants.

At this important time where we are looking back and looking ahead, the consultation meeting has given us important links, partners and friends, who are willing to join us in fighting against Tuberculosis.