Developing countries have some of the highest rates of epidemic diseases like AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis (TB). Many with these diseases do not only lack access to proper treatment, and they are also often stigmatized within their own community. Prevention is key in slowing the spread of communicable diseases, and education is the first step.

More than 20 million people throughout Mozambique, Angola, South Africa, China, Zambia, and other countries have been reached through the Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE) approach. TCE is a revolutionary disease education and prevention program that sees every individual as an essential building block in turning the tide against HIV/AIDS, TB, or malaria.

TCE field officers educate, inform, and counsel individuals, empowering them to make positive decisions about their health and to help prevent the spread of disease. Volunteers, called “passionates,” assist with complementary activities such as school and workplace campaigns, women’s clubs, orphan care, home care, and much more. Additionally, TCE programs forge partnerships with existing services, both governmental and otherwise, and provide people with access to those services via referrals.

By drawing upon local participation, and working in close cooperation with government agencies, health services, and other public and private partners, TCE ensures that each community becomes mobilized and organized in the fight against the major epidemics.

Planet Aid has supported the implementation of the TCE program in South Africa, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and India.