Establishment of a Community Advisory Board (CAB) for tuberculosis control and research in the Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu (INK) area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
To strengthen community mobilization, education, awareness and involvement in research to improve Tuberculosis (TB) control, by building partnership between communities and the health sector through the establishment of a Community Advisory Board (CAB) in the Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu (INK) area.


METHODS
Key stakeholders from multiple sectors of the target community were identified. Two workshops were held with the aim of communicating the need for CAB and selecting its members. A 22 member INK CAB with representatives from different sectors in the community was selected. CAB members were trained through a 2-day workshop on TB and research.


RESULTS
Various activities were successfully initiated and spearheaded by the INK CAB, and these involved training of Traditional Healers, recruiting of more TB tracer teams, organizing awareness campaigns during TB World Day, establishing TB school peer educators and links with NGOs to support impoverished TB patients all with positive outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
The INK CAB is a successful example of providing a mechanism for community consultation and participation that contributes to promoting and facilitating relevant research and TB control activities.
Ntshanga
Sbongile P
SP
Unit for Clinical and Biomedical TB research, South African Medical Research Council, 491 Ridge Road, PO Box 70380, Overport 4067, South Africa. sntshanga@live.co.za
Ngcobo
Paulos S
PS
Mabaso
Musawenkosi L H
ML
D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D055048:Integrative Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D009938:Organizations / Q000458:organization & administration; D011204:Poverty Areas; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012944:Social Support; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*