Operational research within the national tuberculosis control programme in Benin

OBJECTIVE: To document whether the placement of operational research (OR) fellows within disease control programmes in low and middle income countries leads to the implementation of operational research and improvements in policy and practice. RESULT: In 2012, an OR fellow was placed within the National TB Programme, Benin, to strengthen the implementation of operational research. From 2012 to 2015, eight OR projects were implemented, of which three contributed to changes in programme practice and five provided information which was not previously available from quarterly/annual reports. Two of these projects—one on the burden and treatment outcomes of childhood TB and one on tracing patients who had discontinued treatment—are discussed in more detail. OR should be strongly encouraged within national TB programme settings and an OR fellow facilitates this process.