BPAL research implementation review helps pave the
way towards a smooth transition to programmatic
BPAL implementation

An end-of-project Research Implementation Review (RIR) and Workshop on the BPaL OR was successfully conducted on 8-10 February by the Research Team in collaboration with the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau of the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Business for Social Progress and Tropical Disease Foundation Inc.

The RIR aimed to review and assess the accomplishments of the BPaL OR implementation, identify clinical and operational challenges, share lessons learned, and provide recommendations for the smooth transition of the BPaL regimen to programmatic implementation nationwide following WHO’s revised guidelines on new regimens for drug-resistant TB (DRTB).  The Research Team is being headed by Dr. Irene Flores (Principal Investigator) with technical guidance from Dr. Mamel Quelapio (LIFT-TB Consultant); 88 attendees actively participated mostly implementers from the 12 OR sites, and various local and international partners.

This activity marks another milestone for the LIFT-TB Project Philippines as it gears up for a two-year extension supporting the BPaL scale-up initiatives of DOH. One month ahead of its schedule, the OR successfully surpassed its 100 mark for the enrollment target in November 2022 and its high treatment success rate, to date, strongly manifests its efficacy and safety as a short-course all-oral DRTB regimen.  It is hoped that the recommendations gathered from the OR will serve as a guide for the effective transition of BPaL-based regimens from research to program use.

RIR documentation materials (presentations and photos) can be found in LIFT-TB webpage “BPaL Reference Materials” (https://tdf.org.ph/lift-tb-philippines/). 

                         

Photo credits:  Mr. Marcus Teng