CDC Experts Attend Union World Conference on Lung Health in The Hague, The Netherlands

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From October 24-27, experts from CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB will join the world’s top scientific researchers at the 49th annual Union World Conference on Lung Health to address the burden of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide. During this four-day conference, top scientists from around the world will gather to develop innovative partnerships, inspire public health action in the fight against TB, and discuss groundbreaking research to strengthen the global response to TB. This year’s conference theme is “Declaring our rights: Social and political solutions.”

Throughout the conference, CDC will highlight its on-the-ground efforts around the world to find, cure, and prevent TB, including the importance of scaling up TB preventive treatment (TPT). TPT is a proven course of treatment that can prevent TB disease and death among those most at risk of developing TB. CDC is working to scale up TPT in countries with high burden of both TB and HIV. CDC’s work, as a result, is critical to help ensure a safer America and a safer world.

At this year’s Union conference, CDC experts are presenting the following abstracts on TPT:

  • Early-phase Implementation Success of Isoniazid Preventive Therapy for People Living with HIV—Malawi, 2017.
    • This study demonstrates an effective early-phase scale-up of isoniazid preventive therapy – a lifesaving intervention for people living with HIV – in the highest TB/HIV districts in Malawi. This approach may serve as a model for similar programs worldwide.
  • Yield of repeated tuberculosis screening among HIV patients: Implications for TPT
    • In Botswana, the TB/HIV co-infection rate is a staggering 60%. This study sought to intensify TB case-finding among people living with HIV and found that most cases of presumptive and confirmed TB were identified at HIV treatment initiation, creating an opportunity to begin TPT when active disease is ruled out.
  • Taking TPT implementation to a national scale: The Nigeria PEPFAR program experience
    • In Nigeria, TPT implementation is split between the HIV and TB programs. This study showed that a strategic change in the logistic system led to a significant increase in isoniazid preventive therapy among eligible people living with HIV and recommends that TPT be fully driven by the HIV programs for improved program performance.
  • High uptake of IPT with integration of TB/HIV services in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) settings in Manzini region, Swaziland*
    • This study took a look into enhancing the integration of TB/HIV services in RMNCH settings and found that not only is it feasible, but it also ensures high TB screening coverage among women of reproductive age. It also found that interventions aimed at improving isoniazid preventive therapy completion rates should be prioritized.
  • High Prevalence of Tuberculosis among People with Advanced HIV Disease in enrolling in Care in Vietnam
    • Findings show that in Vietnam, the number of TB cases and TB deaths among people living with HIV are still very high. Targeting efforts to scale up early TB screening, diagnosis, and TB preventive treatment is needed.
  • Gaps in the intensified case finding and isoniazid preventive therapy cascade among People Living with HIV in Lesotho
    • This study looked into identifying the gaps that exist in the process of finding TB cases and starting these people on isoniazid preventive therapy. The recommendation is to scale-up GeneXpert testing and provide isoniazid preventive therapy to people living with HIV with higher CD4 counts.
  • Assessing the TPT Cascade for People Living with HIV in Namibia and Identifying Challenges Associated with Its Implementation
    • In Namibia, data from 55 healthcare facilities were analyzed to find that only 1 in 5 eligible people living with HIV completed TPT. In order to reach more people with this lifesaving treatment, it is critical that the following challenges are addressed: lack of training, irregularities with TB screening and the timing of TPT implementation, unclear prescribing and recording responsibilities, and clinical misperception.
  • Household Contact Tracing for Families of Mozambican Mineworkers
    • Miners experience some of the highest rates of TB across any population. This study screened household contacts of Mozambican mineworkers and was able to identify several people with TB disease. Identifying TB cases and initiating TPT is critical to TB control.

*Now known as eSwatini

For information on all DGHT abstracts and sessions presented at the conference, see below.

“Imagine a future where everyone with TB was diagnosed quickly, started on effective treatment – a regimen lasting only a few weeks – and a cure was nearly universal. By pairing global efforts to improve public health response capabilities with proven interventions to strengthen TB control, we can improve the lives of people with TB and avert the suffering and cost associated with this deadly disease.”

Dr. Tom Frieden, MD, MPH
Director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

DGHT Presentations and Abstracts

Downloadable PDF version

 

 

For more information about CDC’s participation in the Union World Conference and ongoing efforts to address the TB epidemic, please see the following resources:

Global TB overview highlighting the global burden of TB, global progress the date and CDC’s leadership to help end the epidemic

TB Preventive Treatment Fact Sheet illustrating the importance of this life-saving treatment and CDC’s role in scaling up this intervention

Country profiles showing all of the places that CDC works to fight global TB

Feature stories describing TB Preventive Treatment, drug-resistant TB, and TB among children and the mining community