Doctor gives consultation to HIV/AIDS patient (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – An HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis (TB) integrated treatmentmodel has continued to be piloted at district and communal clinic centres in 18provinces with high and medium rate of HIV this year, according to the VietnamAdministration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) under the Ministry of Health.
VAAC Deputy Director General Bui Duc Duong said that TB is the most commonopportunistic infection associated with HIV and a leading cause of death amongpeople with HIV. Persons infected with HIV are 19 times more likely to developTB than those without HIV.
HIV-infected people also face the emerging threat of drug-resistant TB. In2015, some 390,000 people died of HIV-associated TB in the world, accountingfor 25 percent of global HIV deaths. There are an estimated 5,500HIV-associated TB cases in Vietnam, Duong added.
HIV/AIDS and TB services are being provided separately at numerous districtclinic centres, inconveniencing patients.
The integrated model has been introduced at district and communal clinics toenhance management and provide comprehensive service for HIV- associated TBpatients, he said.
The model was piloted in Nho Quan district in Ninh Binh province and Hung Hadistrict in Thai Binh province during 2013-2015. It was enlarged to other 12provinces in 2015-2016.
According to the Vietnam National Hospital of Tuberculosis and RespiratoryDiseases, after two years of the model, the rate of detection of TB for HIVpatients increased while rate of HIV-associated TB patients receiving treatmentalso rose.
In addition, people with TB received consultations and HIV tests at theintegration clinics and those with HIV were treated at the same centre.
The integration model also helps reduce costs at local clinics and enhancesquality of diagnosis and treatment.-VNA
VNA
