On December 15, USAID and the Vietnam National TB Program (NTP) launched the nationwide expansion of the Ministry of Health/NTP’s “Double-X” Strategy for TB case identification.  Double-X uses chest X-Ray and GeneXpert rapid TB screening and drug resistance testing to improve early TB detection. U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission to Vietnam Christopher Klein, Vice Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen, USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock, and representatives from the NTP, the National Lung Hospital, provincial TB programs and international organizations attended the event.

Since March 2020, USAID and NTP have implemented the Double-X strategy in nine USAID priority provinces, which resulted in finding over 1,000 new TB cases.  Based on this, the NTP has decided to scale-up the Double-X strategy and launch it nationally.  After the launch, NTP is expected to implement Double-X TB case-finding in 25 additional provinces in Vietnam with technical assistance from USAID.

So What? By supporting the Double-X TB case-finding strategy, USAID will help Vietnam improve TB case detection and treatment, supporting the NTP’s goal of eliminating TB in Vietnam by 2030.