Biography

Alan Kachuka is a medical doctor with a Master’s in Public Health and a PhD candidate in Public Health – Epidemiology, and Master of Philosophy in HIV/AIDS Management. He currently serves as Paediatric TB Coordinator at the Ministry of Health in Zambia under the National TB Program, where he leads implementation research focused on validating Treatment Decision Algorithms (TDAs) for childhood TB diagnosis. His work involves conducting support supervision, mentoring healthcare workers, and strengthening health systems to improve childhood TB detection and care. His research interests include TB, HIV, and infectious disease epidemiology, with a focus on implementation science.

Expertise

TB Diagnostics
Public Health

Key Impacts

Revolutionising childhood TB treatment: Programmatic implementation and rollout of the four-month shorter treatment regimen for drug-susceptible childhood TB in Zambia

Zambia’s implementation of STR has proven feasible, acceptable, and sustainable. Key to its success are the integration into national guidelines, continuous mentorship, and a strong TB management system. The STR offers an opportunity for scaling TB treatment improvements in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Source: Conference 2024