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Digital Tools Used In the Surveillance of Tuberculosis from a National Perspective with
Canada

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Introduction
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis
(Mtb). It usually affects the lungs. The bacteria multiply in the lungs, but they can also enter the
bloodstream and lead to tuberculosis disease in other parts of the body. It is one of the highest 10
reasons for death globally, and the single greatest cause of death among children under 15 years
of age.
In September 2015, the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Tuberculosis
Program released a plan for action on digital well-being, assessing the potential benefits of these
tools to tuberculosis care as well as control. This itinerary centered on the potential and most
recent knowledge about the use of digital well-being technology to fight tuberculosis. Based on
how it was utilized, it was split into four groups (Jackson et al., 2019). For starters, patient care
in addition to electronic directly observed therapy (eDOT) is largely concerned with tuberculosis
screening, diagnosis, and treatment adherence (Iribarren et al., 2021).
While eDOT is included in the latter, it addresses the broader commendation of
monitoring and assisting patients while they take their tuberculosis medications at home,
ensuring unswerving drug intake, and minimizing daily or consistent clinic stopovers. Second,
monitoring and surveilling, involves managing well-being information systems, calculating the
burden of tuberculosis sickness and mortality, and tracking medication resistance (Lee,
Raviglione, & Flahault, 2020). Third, drug inventory management, norm development, and
training are all part of program administration. Fourth, digital literacy (e-learning) is the process
of improving training, communication, and engagement via the use of electronic media and
devices.
GeneXpert MTB/RIF, for example, was categorized as patient care for this study. At the
same time, it might be used as a tool for monitoring medication resistance. Microscopy could not
be linked to a database in the past. GeneXpert, on the other hand, has made it possible to
synchronize all information into the database immediately after the test results are ready since
2010. As a result, the employment of quick diagnostic technologies can benefit both health
practitioners and data services (Ng et al., 2018). Tuberculosis observation tools may be used to
bring about the health structure in the same way. OUT-TB Web offers monitoring tools
including customizable hot spot maps for envisaging tuberculosis as well as drug-resistance
instances. It also assists with program administration duties such as resource allocation
(technical, financial, as well as human). The ETR. The net monitoring platform's findings were
also utilized to advise and steer resource allocation at the facilities (Otto, et al., 2022).
This, according to Dr. Mayers, was due to the depth and geographical extent of the data
that was gathered in the Tuberculosis Alert Database (TBD), which is accessible through a
mobile-friendly app. According to him, the Tuberculosis Alert App that was developed to
address awareness of Tuberculosis control among the public is used in 146 countries. The app
was developed with funding from the Tuberculosis Alliance, funded by Global Affairs Canada.
The Alert System helps Tuberculosis control programs and doctors gain a better understanding
of Tuberculosis trends in a given region (Janjua, 2018).
He stated that when every information was available through the application, it was easier
to address the risk factors that led to tuberculosis so that it will be easier to prevent and treat it.
The application, he explained, combines text messages, iconography, and maps to create an
effective form of communication. It also facilitates follow-up on Tuberculosis case reports and
allows the central tuberculosis database to better track drug-resistant tuberculosis cases (Murti, et
al., 2021).
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"If I have a new diagnosis of tuberculosis in any State and I went to the local doctor who
may not have any knowledge of tuberculosis, I would send an alert to the tuberculosis Alert
System. This will be taken to the state Tuberculosis Control Program for proper management of
the patient. This is achieved through a text message that contains geo-coordinates, the name and
contact information of the patient, and an option to send a picture. "We can then compare the
number of cases detected with the number of alerts sent, with the conclusion that the alert system
is working (Zimmer et al., 2021). However, one problem we face is money and I am appealing to
the authorities to please fund tuberculosis control activities to achieve the intended goal," he
said.
In her remarks, Country Director for the Tuberculosis Alliance in s, Mrs. Corner, pointed
out that Tuberculosis Alert System is one of the key Tuberculosis control tools that assist the
tuberculosis program’s efforts to achieve the 2020 tuberculosis target. She called on other
Tuberculosis programs to get trained on how to use the app, noting that the platform allows the
Tuberculosis control program to have alerts sent to their phones in real-time.
On his part, an Assistant Officer for the Tuberculosis Control Programme, Dr. Sanders
noted that, with the number of people diagnosed with tuberculosis daily rising, the number of
alerts received, we're also increasing. He said that there are 2450 contacts and 2167 contacts for
every one case of tuberculosis.
"We need to take every step we can to reduce the burden of the disease and get rid of the
burden. We must ensure every tuberculosis case is detected early, treated, and cured," he said
(Long, et al., 2020). He said that the app has helped in shaping the frontline tuberculosis control
workforce as it provided information on tuberculosis screening for the activities and field visits.
The Tuberculosis Alert System was launched in Canada in September 2015. It was
developed and delivered by Tuberculosis Alert (TBD) using existing health service systems
(health workers, pharmacies, mobile phones) in an integrated manner. Among other things, the
Alert System allowed the national surveillance system to map Tuberculosis cases and monitor
other diseases in various state and local government health facilities (Ehrlich et al., 2020).
The Tuberculosis Alert Platform is powered by AcquireWell, which was developed by
the Tuberculosis Alliance. AcquireWell uses the latest advances in mobile technology and
artificial intelligence to turn data into actionable information that leads to improved health
outcomes and a better future for us all.
Conclusion
The Tuberculosis Alert Platform has enabled Tuberculosis Alert to rapidly expand to 15
states and 7 local government areas, with over 14,500 new tuberculosis alerts generated by
27,000 active users in the state. It has enabled tuberculosis Alerts to generate over 54
tuberculosis cases case alerts, analyze and compare tuberculosis case trends among 5 states and
12 LGAs, highlight states that have improvements in tuberculosis case-finding rates, and track
tuberculosis cases among 500,000 patients in the Alberta State Primary Health Care Centre. It
has also enabled Tuberculosis Alert to make a significant contribution to the research of the
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is investigating the impact of the
Tuberculosis Alert platform in the Alberta State tuberculosis program, identifying the total
number of cases and comparing cases detected with the number of alerts sent.
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