Linking private and public sectors in tuberculosis treatment in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem and the world's foremost cause of death from a single infectious agent. Despite the increasing number of TB patients who seek help in the private sector, there are few practical examples of how to create a public/private linkage of TB services. The paper presents a pilot service-linkage project between the public and private sector in TB control in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The study documents and examines the process of the service-linkage project through the undertaking of a longitudinal analytical case study. A detailed description of the project from formulation to a short-term evaluation is given. The analysis relates the activities and early outcomes of the service-linkage project to the context, characteristics and interactions of the organizations involved. The study reveals that although the involved organizations initially agreed on the objective of the service-linkage project, differences in capacity, motivation, environment and needs had implications for the implementation and short-term success of the project. The public sector, despite the will, did not have the structure or resources to engage with the private sector. The private sector lacked interest in public health aspects of TB treatment and trust in the public sector. The study points to two different organizations that have the potential capacities to act as mediators between the public and private sectors: international research institutions and non-governmental organizations.