In rural Nepal, the biggest challenge for healthcare delivery is the lack of an effective transport infrastructure. Healthcare workers or patients often walk for many hours to reach services and essential supplies are often out of stock.
DrOTS Nepal is designed for the early and rapid diagnosis of new TB cases in Pyuthan through the utilization of drones and smart pillboxes, called MERMS (Medication Event Reminder-Monitors), to support overcoming the access barrier in remote geographically isolated areas and improve treatment adherence/patient compliance. Our network of female community health volunteers use the drones to transport the sputum samples of people with TB symptoms to our laboratories or GeneXpert testing hubs. If the samples are positive, patients are enrolled to DOTS treatment using smart pill boxes, that remind the patient to take the drugs every day, and keep electronic records of each dose taken, reviewed by a health care worker.
Total Population Coverage: 226796
Beneficiaries: People with TB, TB contacts, remote communities