About The BETTER Project
The BETTER Project (Building Expertise on Treatment of Tuberculosis with Expanded Resistance) developed organically in March of 2024, when a group of front-line clinicians began sharing their experiences in caring for individuals with Tuberculosis that has expanded resistance. Many of these individuals were also involved in the arcTB (Accelerating Regimens and Care for DR-TB), a collaboration between Partners In Health (PIH) and Unitaid. Working closely with representatives from impacted communities, the BETTER Project has developed a set of best practices for the complex and person-centered care required for these patients.
The goal of the BETTER Project and arcTB collaboration is to improve the care of people with strains of TB with expanded resistance by supporting impacted individuals, affected communities, national TB programs, and international stakeholders in arcTB settings. Our objectives are:
- To continue to meet as an active community of practice (both online and in-person) and share new developments around management of people with strains of TB with expanded resistance;
- To assist national programs supported under arcTB to monitor and analyze outcomes of individuals treated with these strains of TB;
- To provide clinical input (as requested) and review of individual patient regimens for people with expanded resistance, including pre-approval access to newer drugs;
- To share the results of this work with normative public health bodies in arcTB countries and international stakeholders to develop expert recommendations on patient care and to provide input into future trial designs for people with strains of TB that have expanded resistance.
The BETTER Project website is supported by the Roe Green Scholars Fund, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.