HIV and Co-Infection in Tuberculosis (TB)

HIV and Co-Infection in Tuberculosis (TB)

HIV and TB are closely linked as TB is the most common opportunistic infection among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) causing a high number of mortalities.  According to the Global TB report 2018, the incidence of HIV-TB is 86000 in India which is 9% of global incidence. As the world’s highest TB burden country, India has pledged its commitment to eliminate TB by 2025 and launched a bold National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (NSP 2017-2025). In spite of the commitment of free diagnostics and treatment, the TB program faces a huge challenge to reach all, resulting in undue morbidity, mortality and continuum of infection transmission.

Our programmes don’t have full-fledged TB services yet, however, TB screening is one of the core activities under our Vihaan Care and Support programme. Care and Support Center (CSC) team undertake active case finding among PLHIV and their family members using the screening techniques outside when they go for follow up.

Each year, we observe World Tuberculosis (TB) Day on March 24 to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB and to step up efforts to end the global TB epidemic. Under our Vihaan programme, the CSCs observed the World TB Day by organising Support Group Meeting to deliberate on HIV-TB Co-infection, going for TB testing during this month as part of ‘Starting with Self’ campaign, collaborating with the District TB Officer to create awareness at the district level including organising an awareness rally.

At the state level, local partners of Vihaan programme collaborated with the State TB Officer (STO) for the state-level activities, social media campaigns, and support Vihaan outreach workers to engage as DOT providers.