HIV and TB: What's the Latest and Greatest?

A one-day overview of HIV/TB: the State-of-the Art

Presented jointly by CORE Group's HIV & TB Working Groups

Led by Janine Schooley of Project Concern International and Kayt Erdahl of Project HOPE.

October 6, 2009, Washington, D.C. / Thanks to World Vision for hosting the event.

Why is there persistent disconnect between TB and HIV efforts in many low-income countries, despite the known interrelatedness of the epidemics?

What are the similarities, differences and unique areas of proposed overlap between HIV and TB programs in low-income countries?

What are the bio-medical implications of TB/HIV coinfection, and how should these drive program design and implementation?

While it is well known that TB is the leading killer of people with HIV in many places, and conversely, that people with TB may be more likely to be HIV positive, the programming implications are still muddy, and the linkages weak. This one-day event examined these questions, and ways forward.

Critical issues specifically addressed:

· How TB uniquely affects—and endangers—people with HIV

· Why people with TB should be linked to HIV services

· TB and HIV drug interactions, and the resulting treatment implications

· Differences in TB/HIV co-infection and treatment for children

· “Triple Trouble”…Nutritional issues exacerbated by co-infection, including the resulting drug regimens and stigma

· Social drivers of the twin epidemics, including stigma

· Barriers to building program linkages, including funding streams and “territoriality”

· Implications for health systems strengthening efforts

· Should “Integration” be the fourth “I”?

· Actual country experiences with community-based TB/HIV integration efforts

Read through the presentations below for more about these key questions and concepts...