Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract NACNDC/19JASH044 (Poster C25) | Published: 24 Nov 2025
Louis Ocen1,&, Solome Najjingo1, Ronald Tamale1, Henry Suubi1
1Uganda Episcopal Conference – Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, Kampala, Uganda
&Corresponding author: Louis Ocen, Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, Kampala, Uganda. Email:louisocen@gmail.com/locen@ucmb.co.ug. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9170-6874
Received: 13 Sept 2025, Accepted: 20 Oct 2025, Published: 24 Nov 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Tuberculosis, community engagement, faith leaders, case detection, Uganda
©Louis Ocen et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Louis Ocen et al., Leveraging faith and community leaders to improve tuberculosis case detection in Zombo District, Uganda. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc6):00044. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO6-00044
Zombo District, located in Uganda’s remote West Nile region, continues to face a high tuberculosis (TB) burden. Limited access to health services, persistent stigma, and low community awareness significantly contribute to undiagnosed TB cases and delays in seeking care. Traditional facility-based strategies have struggled to reach affected individuals in hard-to-reach areas, necessitating alternative, community-led approaches to improve TB case detection and linkage to care.
We piloted a TB case-finding initiative that mobilized 175 faith and community leaders across Zombo District. These leaders, known for their strong community influence and trust, were trained on TB signs and symptoms, stigma reduction, the importance of early diagnosis, and referral procedures. They were integrated into TB outreach programs in collaboration with nearby health facilities. Joint community outreaches were conducted where the trained leaders mobilized residents and health workers carried out screenings using symptom checklists and digital chest X-rays. Leaders also conducted door-to-door referrals for presumptive TB cases, linking them to diagnostic and treatment services.
The intervention resulted in a 47% increase in TB case detection during the implementation period, with nearly one-third of all TB cases identified through referrals made by community leaders. However, a notable decline in detection rates was observed after the pilot phased out, highlighting the critical role of continuous engagement and support. The approach proved effective in overcoming trust barriers and reaching populations often missed by conventional health systems.
To sustain impact, community and faith leaders should be formally incorporated into TB control strategies through regular refresher training, logistical support, and performance recognition. This scalable, low-cost approach holds promise for improving TB outcomes in underserved areas across Uganda and beyond.
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