Dr. Andre Daniel E. Villanueva, KNCV Philippine Country Representative and Project Manager of ASCENT, shared with the teams from the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) network around the world the value of digital adherence technology (DAT) in enhancing treatment adherence, enabling differentiated care to boost health-system efficiency, and improving treatment outcomes.

The Adherence Support Coalition to End TB (ASCENT) project in the Philippines is part of a five-country initiative (that includes Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Ukraine) designed to build a scalable, affordable, evidence-based, and DAT-informed patient-centered treatment support package for TB. Backed by a strong consortium of partners (KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, Aurum Institute, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and PATH) in partnership with Unitaid and the governments of the implementing countries, ASCENT will contribute to the adoption and uptake of DAT-enabled interventions – by providing operational guidance, strong evidence, and improved market mechanisms – to support the goal of reducing TB incidence and mortality, and the financial consequences of tuberculosis.

The conference brought together PwC teams across the globe to discuss their work in the HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and the COVID-19 health space. Specifically, it gathered PwC teams that provide services to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria. The Philippines is one of the beneficiaries of Global Fund with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) as the Principal Recipient of the TB grant support in the Philippines. The ASCENT project is being implemented in partnership and close collaboration with the Philippine Department of Health, WHO, the local governments of Bulacan and Pampanga, PBSP and other TB stakeholders, since 2019.