The HIV Department

Myanmar
Benin
Democratic Republic of Congo

Uganda
Further information

Created in 2002, The Union’s HIV Department aims to develop models and best practices to help reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by the dual epidemic of tuberculosis and HIV.

Despite the fact that HIV infection can be managed with antiretroviral medications, and tuberculosis is curable, each year nearly three million people die from HIV and two million from tuberculosis.
Almost one third of HIV-infected individuals are also infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
In 2005, The Union’s HIV Department began testing its model programme of Integrated HIV Care for Tuberculosis Patients Living with HIV/AIDS (IHC).

Individuals with tuberculosis who are registered for anti-tuberculosis treatment with the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP), as well as their relatives, are offered HIV testing and counselling. If they are found to be positive, TB patients and relatives are offered integrated HIV care which includes antiretroviral therapy.
The Union’s strategy in combating TB and HIV, with coordinated and integrated methods, includes measures and resources to scale up participating countries’ health-care systems, capacity building, and drug and equipment procurement.

The IHC programme is being implemented and tested in four countries with financial support from the European Commission, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Yadana project operated by TOTAL.

Download the leaflet on the IHC programme (PDF)
Download the poster (PDF)

Myanmar

The Union is collaborating with the Ministry of Health, the National Tuberculosis and AIDS Programmes and the World Health Organization in Myanmar.

In Mandalay, where the programme began in May 2005, IHC has demonstrated the capacity of the National Tuberculosis and AIDS Programmes, physicians in teaching hospitals, and primary health care facilities in townships, to collaborate and provide accessible, acceptable and affordable diagnostic and treatment services for TB-HIV co-infected patients and their HIV-infected relatives.

Between May 2005 and May 2006, 1,676 TB patients and 100 relatives were offered HIV diagnosis and care. Of the 605 who tested positive, 379 (63%) enrolled in the IHC programme and 190 receive cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy.

Download the poster on Myanmar (PDF)

Benin

The Union is collaborating with the Ministry of Health, the National Tuberculosis Programme and the National AIDS Programme of Benin on the IHC project. Activities are being implemented in 18 diagnostic and treatment centres (DTCs) in the northern, southern and centre central regions of the country.
These centres have been equipped with a 3-year supply of HIV testing equipment, cotrimoxazole prophylaxis and antiretroviral medications. To administer the programme, an IHC office was built renovated and inaugurated in December 2005 in Cotonou.

To date, 100 health care workers (doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians) have received specific HIV training. More than 2000 TB patients are expected to benefit from HIV diagnosis and care  over the next three years in Benin.

Download the poster on Benin (PDF)

Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo)

The Union is collaborating with the National Tuberculosis Programme and the National AIDS Programme of DR Congo to develop the IHC programme. Activities are being implemented in 21 diagnostic and treatment centres (DTCs) for TB care: 12 in North Kivu, the eastern part of the country, and 9 in Bas Congo, the western part of the country.
In order to reach the isolated areas of this huge country, the programme has been equipped with two 4-wheel drive trucks and four motorcycles and electronic communication facilities.

Ninety health care workers will receive specific HIV training in the course of 2006 and more than 5000 TB patients are expected to benefit from HIV diagnosis and care over the next three years in DR Congo.

Uganda

The Union is collaborating with the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Programme and the National AIDS Programme on the IHC programme in Uganda.

The aim of the IHC programme in Uganda is to study barriers to the implementation of TB-HIV services in communities, patients, health care providers and health systems.

The results of the first phase of qualitative research are expected in early 2007 and will form the basis of epidemiological and intervention studies.

Download the poster on Uganda (PDF)

For more information on The Union’s IHC project download PDF

Read the series on TB-HIV published in the International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease download the PDF

New TB/HIV Infection Control Publication now available:
"Tuberculosis Infection Control in the Era of Expanding HIV Care and Treatment"

In this era of increasing access to HIV counseling and testing, care, and treatment for people living with HIV, more people living with HIV-associated immunosuppression are attending health care and community facilities than ever. This new publication includes recommendations to help minimize the risk of TB transmission to staff and patients at facilities in resource-limited settings in which HIV care is provided.

This document is an addendum to the 1999 WHO Guidelines for the Prevention of Tuberculosis In Health Care Facilities in Resource-limited Settings.

This document (and annexure) is available for downloading at:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/od/gap/pa_tb.htm

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