About

What is Post-TB Care?

The NIHR Post-TB CARE Centre for Assessment and Research Excellence (CARE) aims to address the growing recognition that many people who have completed tuberculosis (TB) treatment continue to experience significant health, social and economic challenges. These long-term consequences, often referred to as post-TB morbidity, affect quality of life and contribute to ongoing disability and premature mortality, particularly in high TB burden settings.

Why is Post-TB Care Needed?

Globally, TB survival rates have improved, resulting in a growing population of TB survivors. However, health systems remain largely focused on treatment completion rather than long-term recovery. Evidence increasingly shows that people affected by TB frequently experience chronic respiratory symptoms, reduced exercise capacity, mental health difficulties, and socio-economic vulnerability after treatment ends. These unmet needs highlight the importance of structured post-TB care pathways.

What are the program aims?

The Post-TB CARE program seeks to develop and evaluate sustainable, patient-centred post-TB care models in high TB burden, resource-limited settings. Our research group has been established to address critical knowledge gaps that currently prevent the effective assessment of post-TB impairment and the design of feasible care solutions that truly meet the needs of patients. This vital research project will primarily focus its activities across South Africa and Cambodia, two countries with a high burden of TB.

What are the program objectives?

The program has four main objectives:

To develop an operational multidimensional assessment tool capable of quantifying impairment in TB survivors for accurate assessment of post-TB care needs.
To design an effective, appropriate, and sustainable post-TB care package specifically for resource-limited settings, guided by principles of good clinical governance.
To create a knowledge sharing and advocacy platform dedicated to post-TB in high-burden TB settings.
To develop a multi-disciplinary centre of excellence for post-TB research, care, and community engagement in South Africa to foster sustainable, collaborative south-south and north-south research partnerships in the field.

Who is involved in the program?

The program is delivered by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, researchers and public health experts working in close collaboration with local partners in high-burden settings. It is led by Professor Brian Allwood (Stellenbosch University) and Professor Rein Houben (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), with a wider team bringing expertise in TB research, clinical care, health economics, advocacy, community engagement and social science from institutions including Stellenbosch University, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, TB Proof (South Africa), TBPeople Cambodia and the Desmond Tutu TB Centre.

How are patients involved?

Patient involvement is central to the Post-TB CARE program. Individuals with lived experience of TB are actively engaged in shaping research priorities, care package design and dissemination activities to ensure that interventions are relevant, acceptable and responsive to real-world needs.

What is the long term vision?

The long-term vision of Post-TB CARE is to embed post-TB care into routine clinical practice, reduce long-term disability after TB, and support health systems to move beyond treatment completion towards recovery-focused care. The program also aims to improve international collaboration and share learning to influence policy and practice globally.