The TB Prevention and Management course is a short course for healthcare workers in WC Primary Health Care facilities. 

By covering basic theory and clinical updates, it aims to support the provision of quality care to adults and children with tuberculosis and to prevent TB transmission.  It provides an approach to assessment, treatment and management of drug sensitive and drug resistant TB.


About the course

Course Design:
Self-directed. 


Duration: 
It will take 10-12 hours to complete. 


Eligibility for this course: 

  • Nurses registered with SANC
  • Medical officers/doctors registered with HPCSA
  • Working in Western Cape  


Accreditation: 
10 general CEU's on Level 1,  according to the HPCSA’s  guidelines .


Certification: 
Participants need 75% pass mark for final quiz.


Published: 
October 2023

Course curriculum

The following topics are covered in this course:

Resources for download

Chapter 1: Basics of Tuberculosis 

  • Epidemiology
  • Risk groups
  • Transmission
  • Pathogenesis (Latent TB and TB disease)


Chapter 2. TB infection prevention and control (IPC)

  • TB Preventive Treatment (TPT)
  • ICF and Targeted Universal TB Testing (TUTT)


Chapter 3. Diagnosis of TB

  • Case definitions
  • History, examination and investigations
  • Notification


TPT Activity- 10 Clinical Scenarios

Chapter 4. Drugs-sensitive TB treatment 

  • Baseline assessment (Assess, Advise & Treat)
  • Drug-sensitive TB treatment pharmacology (includes introduction to paediatric DS-TB treatment)
    • Contraindications
    • Drug side effects
    • Drug interactions
    • Treatment adjuncts (pyridoxine)
    • TB drug induced liver injury (DILI)
    • Special considerations (Diabetes, Pregnancy and breastfeeding, Contraceptives, Renal impairment, Epilepsy)


Chapter 5: Monitoring and follow-up

  • DS-TB routine care and follow-up
  • Management of week 7 and month 5 smear positive clients
  • Treatment interruption
  • Supporting adherence


Chapter 6: TB and HIV co-infection

  • Epidemiology
  • Relationship between TB and HIV
  • Challenges in managing TB/HIV co-infection
  • ART drug selection (Timing and reasons defer ART)
  • ART and TB medication pharmacology
  • TB IRIS
  • Supporting treatment adherence
  • Preventing TB in PLWH
  • Prevention of TB in HIV exposed infants
  • ART Activity


DS-TB and HIV Activity- Case Scenario


Chapter 7. TB in children 

  • Risk factors
  • Differences between childhood and adult TB
  • Pathogenesis in children
  • Diagnosis and TB treatment (Complicated vs uncomplicated)
  • Perinatal TB
  • Prevent communicable infections in the newborn
  • TPT for children


Chapter 8. Drug- resistant TB

  • Definitions
  • When to suspect DR-TB
  • Diagnosis and Treatment
  • DR-TB drug pharmacology
  • Clinical monitoring and follow-up
  • DR-TB in children
  • DR-TB/HIV co-infection
  • TPT for DR-TB contacts


Chapter 9. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E)

  • Aims and principles of M&E
  • Registers and documentation
  • Outcome definitions

This course was developed by the Knowledge Translation Unit (KTU) of the University of Cape Town and The Health Foundation South Africa (THF).