Nation-wide scale up

TB is the most common presenting illness among people living with HIV. At least one-third of the estimated 33.3 million people living with HIV worldwide is infected with the TB bacteria (latent TB infection - not active disease). Of the 9.4 million new TB cases in 2009, 1.1 million were also living with HIV. The WHO policy on TB/HIV outlines 12 collaborative activities that AIDS and TB programs must implement in order to deliver appropriate services for people with TB and HIV co-infection. Rapid nationwide implementation of the 12 collaborative activities is now urgently needed.

In 2009 only 5% of the estimated total of people living with HIV were screened for TB and only 37% of TB patients living with HIV were put on ART. We are far from reaching the Global Plan to Stop TB 2011-2015 targets of 100%.

The gaps are still large and without a concerted effort by both TB and HIV communities and rapid scale up in regions such as the Asia Pacific we will not achieve the targets set for 2015.

  • Establish the mechanism for collaboration
    • A.1. TB/HIV coordinating bodies
    • A.2. HIV surveillance among TB patients
    • A.3. TB/HIV planning
    • A.4. TB/HIV monitoring and evaluation
  • To decrease the burden of TB in people living with HIV (Three 'I's)
    • B.1. Intensified TB case finding
    • B.2. Isoniazid preventive therapy
    • B.3. TB infection control
  • To decrease the burden of HIV in TB patients
    • C.1. HIV testing and counselling
    • C.2. HIV preventive methods
    • C.3. Cotrimoxazole preventive therapy
    • C.4. HIV/AIDS care and support
    • C.5. Antiretroviral therapy to TB patients

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