Closing -TB GAPs - for People Living With HIV: TB Guidance for Adaptable Patient-Centered Service

Plain-language summary

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world's leading infectious cause of mortality and responsible for 1/3 of deaths in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV). Children and adolescents living with HIV (CALHIV) are disproportionately affected due to inadequate preventive services, large case detection gaps, treatment and adherence challenges, and knowledge gaps. This project will generate evidence to inform interventions targeting several of these weaknesses in the TB/HIV cascade of care. Early detection and treatment of TB improve outcomes in people living with HIV (PLHIV). A key challenge in the detection of HIV-associated TB has been the implementation of screening that identifies the correct population for diagnostic testing. Increasing evidence demonstrates the poor performance of recommended symptom screens and diagnostic approaches. Hence, the investigators aim to define a more accurate TB screening and testing strategy among PLHIV (Objective 1 and Objective 2). TB preventive treatment (TPT) averts HIV-associated TB. Nevertheless, among PLHIV, TPT initiation and completion rates are sub-optimal and effective delivery strategies are not defined. As such, the investigators aim to identify the most effective TPT delivery strategy through shared decision making and by integrating approaches proven to be effective at improving HIV treatment adherence (Objective 3). Although evidence demonstrates that isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) is cost-effective in young children living in TB/HIV high burden settings, the cost-effectiveness of newer short-course TPT has primarily been studied in the context of a TB low-burden, high-income setting. The investigators aim to generate evidence to fill this knowledge gap and inform policy for PLHIV living in TB/HIV high burden settings (Objective 4). This study is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling an anticipated $5,000,000 over five years with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS.

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