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TB/HIV Unit

TB/HIV

About The TB/HIV Unit

Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death among PLHIV in Sub Saharan Africa (Nigeria inclusive) and the most common opportunistic infection

Providing treatment, care and support for HIV/AIDS includes treatment for opportunistic infections management, most prominent of which is the tuberculosis infection.

TB/HIV Services:

The TB/HIV services that we offer involves screening PLHIV for TB at every contact with health care workers, offering treatment to co-infected patients and offering PLHIV screened negative for active TB with preventive intervention. IHVN supports the National TB and Leprosy Control Program (NTBLCP) by promoting the integration of HIV prevention, treatment and care to the support for TB care and treatment.

We carry out TB control through interventions such as:

  • TB Routine screening for all PLHIV at every contact with health care workers.
  • HIV counseling and testing for clients at TB facilities.
  • Early diagnosis and treatment of PLHIV with active TB.
  • Ensuring that cross-referrals are made for TB patients identified in Directly Observed Therapy (DOTS) centers to receive adequate care and antiretroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS. and cotrimoxazole preventive therapy. PLHIVs with active TB infection from ART clinics are also linked to DOTs centers for TB treatment.

People turn up for tests during a TB/HIV outreach in Mpape, Abuja.  

  • Provision of TB preventive therapy for PLHIV screened negative for active TB
  • Building the capacity of Nigerian Health workers on TB/HIV integration.

STRATEGIES:

To achieve set goals, we promote capacity development through focused trainings centrally and regionally for trainees and also aims at  generating a pool of trainers. The use of TB referral volunteers, case managers and peer educators at sites as a strategy has helped to improve results. IHVN also promotes routine mentoring on good clinical practice based on evidence and best practices.

Achievements (from April 2006 – December 2019)

  1. PLHIV treated for TB…………………………….. 46,044
  2. Patients provided TB preventive therapy (TPT)…………. 70,366
  3. TB patients offered HIV Testing Services………… 200,087
  4. Sites practicing TB/HIV collaboration ……………… 239

Drug- Resistant TB Services

Estimates from the WHO Global TB Report (2019) show  4.3% of Rifampicin-Resistant/Multi-Drug Resistant (RR-TB/MDR-TB) among newly detected TB cases, and 15% among previously treated cases. IHVN was the Principal Recipient (PR) for drug-resistant TB for GF New Funding Model grant. from July 2011 to December 2018. During this period, over 149,569 people with presumptive DR-TB Cases received testing for DR-TB (RRTB and or MDR/TB) in Nigeria.

Achievements (From July 2011 to December 2018):

  • Number of bacteriologically confirmed, drug resistant TB cases (RR-TB and/or MDR-TB) notified in Nigeria ………………………………………………………………………… 9,036
  • Number of cases with drug resistant TB (RR-TB and/or MDR-TB) that began second-line treatment in Nigeria……………………………………………………………… 6,515
  • Number of service providers trained on RR-TB/MDR -TB management in Nigeria…. 3,110
  • Percentage of DST (drug susceptibility testing) laboratories showing adequate performance on External Quality Assurance in Nigeria: = 100%

TB/HIV services in the Private Sector

To close the gap in the number of missing TB cases in Nigeria, IHVN is scaling up TB/HIV services in the private sector through its Global Fund Public Private Mix (PPM) grant. Both the formal (Private-for-profit, Faith-based hospitals) and informal (community pharmacists, Patent Medicine Vendors and Traditional healers) private care providers are being engaged in at least one of four schemes for TB services. Screening, diagnosis and TB treatment are provided by these private providers or through referral and linkage. All patients are counselled and tested for HIV and linked to ART services appropriately.

Other Events:

  • We have acquired GeneXpert MTB/RIF machines to ease the difficulties faced by clients in early diagnosis of TB in People Living with HIV.
  • IHVN also maintains  ten (10) TB Reference Laboratories and has supported the NTBLCP, through the GF DR-TB Grant, to activate 27 Drug Resistant TB (DR-TB) treatment centers within the country.

Unit contact email: [email protected]

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