Scaling up tobacco cessation within TB programmes: findings from a multi-country, mixed-methods implementation study.

Background: Brief behavioural support can effectively help tuberculosis (TB) patients quit smoking and improve their outcomes. In collaboration with TB programmes in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, we evaluated the implementation and scale-up of cessation support using four strategies: (1) brief tobacco cessation intervention, (2) integration of tobacco cessation within routine training, (3) inclusion of tobacco indicators in routine records and (4) embedding research within TB programmes.

Methods: We used mixed methods of observation, interviews, questionnaires and routine data.