Leveraging Patients’ Social Networks to Overcome Tuberculosis Under-detection in India

In 2015, an estimated 3.5 million people suffered from Tuberculosis (TB) in India. The under-detection of TB represents a key challenge for health officials in developing countries because the success of any treatment program rests crucially on identifying those who have the disease. In collaboration with the Delhi State TB Department, researchers will evaluate a community engagement strategy to increase detection of TB. This pilot randomized evaluation will compare the effects of different types of financial incentives to encourage current TB patients to refer people from within their social networks for TB screening and testing. This project builds upon an earlier project in the private sector, where positive results and ongoing communication led the Delhi State TB Officer to suggest collaboration in the public sector.