Implementing TB preventive treatment within differentiated HIV service delivery models in global programs.

Global HIV program stakeholders, including the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), are undertaking efforts to ensure that eligible people living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving antiretroviral treatment (ART) receive a course of TB preventive treatment (TPT). In PEPFAR programming, this effort may require providing TPT not only to newly diagnosed PLHIV as part of HIV care initiation, but also to treatment-experienced PLHIV stable on ART who may not have been previously offered TPT. TPT scale-up is occurring at the same time as a trend to provide more person-centered HIV care through differentiated service delivery (DSD). In DSD, PLHIV stable on ART may receive less frequent clinical follow-up or receive care outside the traditional clinic-based model. The misalignment between traditional delivery of TPT and care delivery in innovative DSD may require adaptations to TPT delivery practices for PLHIV. Adaptations include components of planning and operationalization of TPT in DSD, such as determination of TPT eligibility and TPT initiation, and clinical management of PLHIV while on TPT. A key adaptation is alignment of timing and location for TPT and ART prescribing, monitoring, and dispensing. Conceptual examples of TPT delivery in DSD may help program managers operationalize TPT in HIV care.

Les parties prenantes du programme mondial VIH, notamment le plan américain PEPFAR (US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), entreprennent des efforts afin de s'assurer que les personnes vivant avec le VIH (PLVIH), éligibles, recevant un traitement antirétroviral (TAR), reçoivent également un traitement préventif TB (TPT). Dans la programmation PEPFAR, cet effort pourrait nécessiter de fournir le TPT non seulement aux PLVIH nouvellement diagnostiquées dans le cadre de l'initiation de la prise en charge du VIH, mais également aux PLVIH stables déjà traités par TAR à qui on n'aurait pas encore offert le TPT. L'expansion du TPT survient au même moment comme une tendance à offrir une prise en charge du VIH davantage centrée sur la personne à travers une prestation de services différenciée (DSD). Dans la DSD, les PLVIH stables sous TAR bénéficient d'un suivi clinique moins fréquent ou sont soignés hors du modèle traditionnel en structures de santé. Le décalage entre la prestation traditionnelle du TPT et la prestation de soins dans des DSD innovantes peut nécessiter des adaptations aux pratiques de prestation du TPT pour les PLVIH. Ces adaptations incluent des éléments de planification et d'opérationnalisation du TPT dans la DSD, comme la détermination de l'éligibilité au TPT et sa mise en route et la prise en charge clinique des PLVIH sous TPT. Une adaptation majeure est l'alignement en termes de temps et de lieu pour la prescription, le suivi et la délivrance du TPT et du TAR. Des exemples conceptuels de délivrance du TPT dans la DSD aideraient les gestionnaires de programme à rendre opérationnel le TPT au sein de la prise en charge du VIH.

Los interesados directos del Programa Mundial del VIH, incluido el Plan de Emergencia del Presidente (de los Estados Unidos) para el Alivio del Sida (PEPFAR), emprenden ahora esfuerzos encaminados a garantizar que las personas con infección por el VIH (PLVIH), que siguen un tratamiento antirretrovírico (TAR) y que reúnen las condiciones, reciban un ciclo de tratamiento preventivo de la TB (TPT). En la programación del PEPFAR esta iniciativa puede necesitar la provisión de TPT no solo a las personas con un diagnóstico reciente de infección por el VIH, como parte del inicio de la atención del VIH, sino también a las PLVIH, con experiencia de tratamiento y que se encuentran estables recibiendo el TAR, a quienes tal vez no se haya propuesto antes el TPT. La ampliación del TPT ocurre de manera simultánea con la tendencia a ofrecer una atención del VIH más centrada en la persona mediante la prestación diferenciada de servicios (DSD). En la DSD, las PLVIH, estables con el TAR, pueden tener encuentros de seguimiento clínico menos frecuentes o recibir atención por fuera del modelo tradicional en los consultorios. La discordancia entre la provisión tradicional del TPT y la prestación de atención en el marco innovador de la DSD exige adaptaciones de las prácticas de prestación del TPT a las PLVIH. Las adaptaciones incluyen componentes de planeación y puesta en práctica del TPT en la DSD, como la determinación de los criterios para recibir el TPT, el inicio del mismo y el manejo clínico de las PLVIH mientras reciben el TPT. Una adaptación primordial es la coordinación del ritmo y el lugar de prescripción, supervisión y suministro del TPT y el TAR. La presentación de ejemplos teóricos de provisión del TPT en el marco de la DSD puede ayudar a los gerentes de programas a poner en práctica el TPT en la atención del VIH.

Policies, practices and barriers to implementing tuberculosis preventive treatment-35 countries, 2017.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) reduces the development of tuberculosis (TB) disease and mortality in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Despite this known effectiveness, global uptake of TPT has been slow. We aimed to assess current status of TPT implementation in countries supported by the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).METHODS: We surveyed TB-HIV program staff at US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) country offices in 42 PEPFAR-supported countries about current TPT policies, practices, and barriers to implementation. Surveys completed from July to December 2017 were analyzed.RESULTS: Of 42 eligible PEPFAR-supported countries, staff from 35 (83%) CDC country offices completed the survey. TPT was included in national guidelines in 33 (94%) countries, but only 21 (60%) reported nationwide programmatic TPT implementation. HIV programs led TPT implementation in 20/32 (63%) countries, but TB programs led drug procurement in 18/32 (56%) countries. Stock outs were frequent, as 21/28 (75%) countries reported at least one isoniazid stock out in the previous year.CONCLUSION: Despite widespread inclusion of TPT in guidelines, programmatic TPT implementation lags. Successful scale-up of TPT requires uninterrupted drug supply chains facilitated by improved leadership and coordination between HIV and TB programs.

TB preventive therapy for people living with HIV: key considerations for scale-up in resource-limited settings.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death for persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV). TB preventive therapy (TPT) works synergistically with, and independently of, antiretroviral therapy to reduce TB morbidity, mortality and incidence among PLHIV. However, although TPT is a crucial and cost-effective component of HIV care for adults and children and has been recommended as an international standard of care for over a decade, it remains highly underutilized. If we are to end the global TB epidemic, we must address the significant reservoir of tuberculous infection, especially in those, such as PLHIV, who are most likely to progress to TB disease. To do so, we must confront the pervasive perception that barriers to TPT scale-up are insurmountable in resource-limited settings. Here we review available evidence to address several commonly stated obstacles to TPT scale-up, including the need for the tuberculin skin test, limited diagnostic capacity to reliably exclude TB disease, concerns about creating drug resistance, suboptimal patient adherence to therapy, inability to monitor for and prevent adverse events, a 'one size fits all' option for TPT regimen and duration, and uncertainty about TPT use in children, adolescents, and pregnant women. We also discuss TPT delivery in the era of differentiated care for PLHIV, how best to tackle advanced planning for drug procurement and supply chain management, and how to create an enabling environment for TPT scale-up success.