ASCENT-Digital Adherence

On November 30 of this year, our team based in Ethiopia hosted the research results dissemination meeting and project closeout event.

During this event, it was recognized the positive impacts of in treatment adherence, especially during the challenging times. 🦠

At this event, we had Dr. Ahmed Bedru welcoming the session, followed by Dr. Hiwot Solomon, Disease Prevention and Control Lead Executive Officer from the Ministry of Health - Ethiopia. Both extending their appreciation to the efforts of people with TB, the work carried out by researchers, practitioners and TB care providers, and the support of partner organizations and participating health facilities.🏥

👉 Reflections conceived during this event led to recognize the potential for wider adoption of to improve TB treatment adherence and completion rates across and other countries with similar TB burden.

📱 use to support treatment adherence is perceived different by users and providers. However, from the results of Trial, the willingness to use, the improvement of user-provider relationship, and cost-saving due to reduced clinic visits were seen across study countries‼️

📖Learn more at https://www.digitaladherence.org/ascent-the-data-story/



KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation | Unitaid | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

TB treatment adherence is not just an effort made by the person living with , it also has implications for their family members, their carers, their care provider, and their healthcare system.

During project we were able to collect some of those perspectives and here we share them with you 👇

Also, make sure to check out the story behind data available at https://www.digitaladherence.org/ascent-the-data-story/



KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation | Unitaid | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Worldwide, tuberculosis treatment follows a Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) scheme to ensure adherence. However, DOT entails:

👉Recurring visits to health facilities 🚌
👉Out-of-pocket costs for people living with 💸
👉Time off from work and away from family
👉Specialized TB care facilities 🏥
👉Increased workload for trained TB care providers

During The Union World Conference on Lung Health our team explained how can potentially support people with their treatment adherence, making it more convenient for people living with TB, TB care providers, and health systems.

Learn more about our project at https://www.digitaladherence.org/ascent-the-data-story/

KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation | Unitaid | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

What a great time we had last week at The Union World Conference on Lung Health!

ASCENT team at the was able to dive into the results and impact of as supporting tools for treatment adherence. It was an amazing opportunity to connect with other organizations and experts in the health innovation and digital health sectors!

Aligned with the theme of this year’s , the message that we are taking home with us is:

👉 DATs are not a one-size fits all solution to treatment adherence. However, in synergy with other tools and interventions, DATs can potentially support people with their TB treatment journey.

proudly recognizes person-centeredness as the main approach of our project and the impact (and challenges) that such approach carries along!

Make sure to check out the story behind data in our website: https://www.digitaladherence.org/ascent-the-data-story/

KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation | Unitaid | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

ASCENT, the story behind data Explore a 5-year journey delving into the forefront of Digital Adherence Technologies supporting Tuberculosis treatment adherence. Immerse yourself in groundbreaking research, uncovering innovative solutions, person-centered approaches and transformative insights. Join us on a compelling narrative s...

We are excited to show our team’s work throughout the .

We have E-Posters available displaying results from in support of treatment journeys. Also, we have had discussions on and it’s impact and experiences in settings in conflict.



KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation | Unitaid | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

We are excited to present key results and lessons from at the in Paris!

Five years designing, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and impact of supporting treatment adherence across five different countries!

Today at 18:30, room 242B at the

Stay tuned for

What a kick off of the Union World Conference on Lung Health 2023‼️

team members were present today at the workshop “A Holistic Approach To Planning For A Digital Adherence Technology Intervention” along with partner members of our partner organizations!

What a great way to start the week!



The Union World Conference on Lung Health

KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation | Unitaid | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The starts this week, and from we prepared a virtual data story where you can check out more about the project, drivers of success and impact!

🔗Check out this link [https://www.digitaladherence.org/ascent-the-data-story/], explore it and share it with your networks!

ASCENT, the story behind data Explore a 5-year journey delving into the forefront of Digital Adherence Technologies supporting Tuberculosis treatment adherence. Immerse yourself in groundbreaking research, uncovering innovative solutions, person-centered approaches and transformative insights. Join us on a compelling narrative s...

has truly impacted the lives of more than 19,000 people affected by and supported their adherence to .

📌 What drove the successful completion of the KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation led project?
📌 Who were the key players throughout this journey?

Check out the answers to these and other questions in the latest article in our website where we highlight the drivers of success on this journey: "ASCENT: Five Years of Transformative Impact to Support Tuberculosis Treatment."

👉Read the article here [https://www.digitaladherence.org/ascent-five-years-of-transformative-impact-to-support-tuberculosis-treatment/], share this and spread the word! 📢



Unitaid | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

ASCENT: Five years of transformative impact to support tuberculosis treatment. – ASCENT Successful completion of ASCENT project is based on the support from people enrolled in the study, healthcare providers, partner organizations, National TB Programs, and the need for person-centered approaches to support TB treatment adherence.

for treatment also comprises economic implications. The team has studied this implications in real-world settings for the betterment of .

This research dives deep into the impact of leveraging digital tools in ensuring better adherence to TB medication, and ultimately improving patient outcomes.

🔍 If you are curious about the economic implications of (DAT) in and the potential for widespread implementation equitably, make sure to explore the full study protocol here:

📖 Evaluating the equity impact and cost-effectiveness of digital adherence technologies with differentiated care to support tuberculosis treatment adherence in Ethiopia: protocol and analysis plan for the health economics component of a cluster randomised trial [https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-023-07289-x ]

Let's stay informed, connected, and committed to advancing healthcare! 💪



KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation | Unitaid | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Building on the novel developments in for treatment that the team has been working for the last 5 years, today we invite you to check out 2 of the study protocols published .

These studies are not just about implementing interventions in real-world settings, but also they are generating evidence to inform decision-makers, civil society organizations, regional and global guidelines, providers, and other relevant stakeholders in the realm of for .

🔗 Check out these 2 study protocols that the ASCENT team has added to the body of evidence on the effectiveness of DATs in TB treatment adherence:

1️⃣ Evaluation of implementation and effectiveness of digital adherence technology with differentiated care to support tuberculosis treatment adherence and improve treatment outcomes in Ethiopia: a study protocol for a cluster randomised trial [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34758737/]

2️⃣ Effectiveness of digital adherence technologies in improving tuberculosis treatment outcomes in four countries: a pragmatic cluster randomised trial protocol [https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/3/e068685]

Let's stay informed, connected, and committed to advancing healthcare! 💪

Tuberculosis Foundationon Unitaidid The Aurum Institutete PATHTH London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicinene

Exciting developments in for treatment are fostering more person-centered approaches for the future of .

The Unitaid funded project is proud to share some incredible strides being made in the realm of (DAT) for treatment through its work. The intersection of technology and healthcare is paving the way for more effective and patient-centered solutions.

🔗 Today we invite you to dive into a Letter to the Editor where the ASCENT team highlights the need to fill knowledge gaps on for TB care:

📖 Digital adherence technology for TB: focus on livelihoods as well as lives [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33977914/]

Let's stay informed, connected, and committed to advancing healthcare! 💪



KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Recap of key learnings from the Panel Discussion on Digital Adherence Technologies (DATs) in TB care: new avenues for patient support. 💊🩻📱

Our Project Director, Job van Rest, served as panelist for the webinar hosted by the European Respiratory Society (ERS)and we're thrilled to share some of the invaluable lessons learned:

🔗Technology can support adherence in TB treatment: play a pivotal role in tracking and enhancing adherence. These tools empower patients by providing reminders, control over their medications, and real-time support, ultimately aiming at increasing treatment success rates.

🙌DATs support a patient-centered approach: Putting patients at the center of their journey is crucial as DATs foster a sense of ownership and responsibility. Patient empowerment is key, however we acknowledge that DATs may not be adequate for all TB patients at this moment, which is why further research and international market outreach are needed.

🌐Global impact: The fight against knows no borders! Through we have realized that by harnessing the potential of DATs, we can aspire to impact the global market, driving progress towards the goal to .

🦠COVID19 pandemic: marked a before and after in the standard of care for . DATs might hold the solution for on-distance patient support and self-administered regimens.

🤝Collaboration is key: Success in combating TB not only requires collaboration across sectors and organizations, but also the combination of different treatment support options! Shoutout to KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, Unitaid, The Aurum Institute, PATH, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, .

📈Data-driven progress: Data collected from the five ASCENT study countries on DATs, generate valuable evidence to inform World Health Organization (WHO) global guidelines and policies and can help tailor interventions to different settings and diverse populations.

ASCENT: Empowering patients through Digital Adherence Technology

are here to support patients in their journey. On September 14, the project team in the Philippines shared the results of the trial showing how patients, healthcare workers and programs are embracing these to .

This event served as the closure of this project cycle in the Philippines and was held in the form of a symposium with online and in-person participants. This allowed not just the celebration of this milestone but also fostered an environment of learning with local, regional and international partners, governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations.

Hooray for this milestone achieved on the fight against 🎉 and huge thanks to our team and partners in . Remarkable gratitude to Dr. Agnes Gebhard, Jason Alacapa, and Dr. Jose Gerard Belimac, Director of the Department of Health.

KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation | Unitaid | The Aurum Institute | PATH | London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The ASCENT project was selected to present about the use of digital adherence technology (DAT) for tuberculosis (TB) treatment at the National Health Exhibition at the Ethiopian Museum of Art and Science.

The exhibition lasted 6 weeks and attracted approximately 150,000 visitors. Read more via the link below!

The Unitaid-funded and supported ASCENT project is led by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with The Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and PATH.

ASCENT Ethiopia presented DATs at the National Health Exhibition for six weeks – ASCENT The national health exhibition organizing committee selected the ASCENT project for the National Health Exhibition to present Digital Adherence Technology.

You are invited to the Stigma Reduction Intervention for HCWs webinar: Introduction to Allies Approach

The Allies Approach is designed as a stigma reduction intervention package for people working in healthcare provision for tuberculosis. It has recently been adapted to provide a blended learning approach with an e-learning module and a module focused on peer led discussions.

The goal of the Intervention Package is to allow participants to explore, question and clarify their values and beliefs about stigma; challenge themselves; improve their environment; and change their thoughts and behaviours, such that they develop self-awareness and are comfortable with the provision of people-centered treatment and care.
Participants learn through doing, including sharing experiences, feelings, and concerns, discussing issues, and solving problems within small group weekly meetings.

This webinar is hosted for interested participants to develop a basic understanding of the Allies Approach methodology; outline what the Allies Approach entails; and how people working or studying within the healthcare profession can enrol for the course; and what can be expected after completing the course.

After attending the webinar people will have the opportunity to enrol for the 8 week course, and will receive all relevant course materials to follow the e-learning module and the peer-to-peer led module.

Cost: Free
Date of Webinar: 14 September (10.00-11.00 CEST)
Duration of Course: 8 weeks (18 September - 10 November 2023)
Target Audience: People working in healthcare provision for tuberculosis (including civil society organizations; in-service training students; and community healthcare workers)
Webinar registration: e9c5e55f-670d-4772-88a0-25c7cc44e39a@f28ee6e5-b8a6-48c5-89d0-aaeef9ebd92e" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e9c5e55f-670d-4772-88a0-25c7cc44e39a@f28ee6e5-b8a6-48c5-89d0-aaeef9ebd92e

Please share this with anyone within your network that may benefit from participating in such a course!

You will receive a link to the webinar upon registration via Microsoft Teams.

For further information, please send an email to the stigma reduction division at KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation: [email protected]

We look forward to having you attend the event!

With 6.000 smart pillboxes arriving soon, the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) is stepping up the training of 180 programmatic management of drug-resistant tuberculosis (PMDT) nurses and regional technical staff across the Philippines.

The Unitaid-funded and supported ASCENT project is led by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with The Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and PATH.

Digital adherence technology scale-up in the Philippines revs up – ASCENT Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) is stepping up the training of 180 programmatic management of drug-resistant tuberculosis (PMDT) nurses and regional technical staff across the Philippines.

Since early 2021, ASCENT implements and evaluates digital adherence technologies (DATs) across almost 150 health clinics in five different countries. Since then, ASCENT has provided almost 20.000 people with tuberculosis DATs to support them in their treatment.

The Unitaid-funded and supported ASCENT project is led by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with The Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and PATH.

Digital Adherence Technology, such as the smart pillbox, carve a path to better tuberculosis management and cure. Over 10.000 TB patients have benefitted from the use of the smart pillbox for their treatment through the ASCENT project.

The UnitaidUnitaid-funded and supported ASCENT project is led by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with The Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and PATH.

Based on our experiences with implementing digital adherence technologies (DAT) at scale in five different contexts, we have written a technical brief to highlight and summarize the ASCENT project implementation experiences with the technologies.

These are 5 Country Experiences with Digital Adherence Technologies: https://www.digitaladherence.org/technical-brief-5-country-experiences-with-digital-adherence-technologies/

The Unitaid-funded and supported ASCENT project is led by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with The Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and PATH.

The ASCENT project will pass on the implementation of digital adherence technology in the Philippines to the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), who will expand the use of the smart pillbox. To jumpstart the scale-up, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation provides PBSP with technical support.

The Unitaid-funded and supported ASCENT project is led by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with The Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and PATH.

KNCV ramps up support for the expanded use of digital adherence technology in the Philippines – ASCENT PBSP will expand the use of the smart pillbox for tuberculosis (TB) treatment in the Philippines. To jumpstart the scale-up, KNCV is providing technical support to PBSP.

Nugusse successfully completed his tuberculosis treatment using a digital adherence technology, provided by the ASCENT project. “I benefited a lot from this technology. Thanks again, my respect!”

The Unitaid-funded and supported ASCENT project is led by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with The Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and PATH.

Video: How Nugusse from Ethiopia got cured from tuberculosis using the smart pillbox – ASCENT Nugusse, who rides horse drawn carriages for a living in Ethiopia, successfully completed his tuberculosis (TB) treatment using a digital adherence technology (DAT), provided by the ASCENT project.

New video! Tsedale from Ethiopia explains the advantages she experienced using a digital adherence technology, the medication sleeve/label, in comparison to directly observed treatment - which this is the standard procedure for tuberculosis treatment worldwide.

The Unitaid-funded and supported ASCENT project is led by KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation in partnership with The Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and PATH.

Video: Tsedale from Ethiopia demonstrates the use of the medication label/sleeve for TB treatment – ASCENT In this video, made in Ethiopia, Tsedale explains the advantages she experienced using a DAT, the medication sleeve/label, in comparison to DOT.