MRC-Newton grant for TB and HIV study
Dr Kogie Naidoo at the press conference
CAPRISA received a R10 million grant under the MRC-Newton Fund for a study that aims to address the challenges in scaling up TB and HIV treatment integration in public health settings in South Africa. This study will be led by Dr Kogie Naidoo, head of HIV and TB treatment research at CAPRISA. The announcement was made at a South African Medical Research Council media briefing held at the 46th Union World Conference on Lung Health held in Cape Town.
The study, a cluster randomized controlled trial, will test the effectiveness of implementing a quality improvement model to integrate HIV-TB service delivery in rural primary health care clinics.
"This study addresses the highest ranking health research priority in South Africa, which is, to develop and test optimal models of HIV-TB service delivery that will enhance case detection, and appropriate treatment initiation, in HIV-TB co-infected patients with the goal of reducing HIV associated TB mortality," explained Dr Naidoo.
"Despite the adoption of clinical trial evidence into treatment guidelines, several challenges exists in implementing HIV-TB treatment integration within health care facilities, thereby preventing translation of clinical trial evidence introduced morbidity and mortality." Naidoo said, "health systems strengthening of integrated HIV-TB services in KwaZulu-Natal will be undertaken in partnership with BroadReach Health Care Africa and the Institute for Health Care Improvement."
The study will be conducted in 40 clinics in the Ugu and uThungulu districts in KwaZulu-Natal. The anticipated outcomes of the study includes the development of a low cost, practical, implementable and robust model for HIV-TB service integration in public health facilities that will improve management of HIV-TB co-infection.