The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one million children (<15 years) currently suffer from tuberculosis (TB) worldwide, and more than 210,000 die each year. In 2016, leveraging the robust infrastructure and partnerships of a large, multi-sectoral orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) program called "SMILE", CRS expanded the program's core mandate to include community childhood TB casefinding, with a focus on highly vulnerable children and their caregivers. This brief provides learning from that effort.
SMILE – Sustainable Mechanisms for Improving Livelihoods and Household Empowerment – is a five-year (April 2013–December 2018) cooperative agreement between CRS and USAID. CRS leads the SMILE consortium, which includes ActionAid and Westat. SMILE is designed to improve the wellbeing of 500,000 OVC and 125,000 caregivers in Benue, Kogi, Edo, and Nasarawa states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Household economic strengthening, HIV and health services, child protection, psychosocial support, and education are some of the core services delivered to targeted priority populations. Nearly 50 local civil society organizations received sub-grants to strengthen their technical capacity and deliver high-quality services to OVC and their caregivers through trained community volunteers.