AEGiS-14IAC: Routes to combined HIV/TB care: VCT Vs. Household.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Routes to combined HIV/TB care: VCT Vs. Household.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. ThOrD1402)

Ayles HM, Chikwamphu D, Mwale A, Halumamba V, Mitimingi P, Godfrey-Faussett P
Zambart project, Lusaka, Zambia

BACKGROUND: TB and HIV are causing a major combined epidemic. There is considerable momentum to tackle them together by linking HIV counselling and care with TB prevention and treatment.

METHODS: Combined HIV/TB pilot sites were set up in Lusaka in conjunction with government and NGO health providers. Access to care was via voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) centres where services included TB case finding, TB preventive therapy (TBPT), STI management, treatment of opportunistic infections and referral systems to other care in addition to regular VCT activity. At the same time TB patients in 2 of the communities were approached directly and offered an intervention for their household that included TB case finding, TBPT and VCT in the home.

RESULTS: Over a 2 year period 6 TB/HIV VCT centres were established. 10,944 individuals underwent VCT, 3,071 tested positive for HIV and 1142 started TBPT. Adherence to TBPT was only 23.5%. 78 additional cases of TB were diagnosed. In the household studies, 250 households were recruited consisting of 865 adults. 80% of adults received counselling and 317 tested for HIV, 156 (49.2%) were positive. 49 started on TBPT with an adherence of 42.1%. 48 additional cases of TB were detected. Disclosure of results within households was good and TB outcomes were improved.

CONCLUSIONS: These two routes cannot be directly compared but they do offer insight into combined HIV/TB care. A combined approach is possible both via VCT and household route. By involving the entire household we can improve TB outcome, improve TBPT adherence and show enhanced discussion of HIV within households and disclosure of HIV status. We suggest that alternative routes should be evaluated for increased quality of the intervention, especially as an HIV prevention strategy.

Keywords: AEGIS, HIV, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, Family Characteristics, Counseling, HIV Seroprevalence, Adult, HumanKWDaegis,hiv,hivinfections,hivseropositivity,familycharacteristics,counseling,hivseroprevalence,adult,human

020707
ThOrD1402

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.