Ending the TB epidemic - what can we learn from the HIV epidemic?

Abstract

Advocates for community-wide screening promote this approach to reduce TB incidence and end the TB epidemic. The roll-out of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected people is often cited as evidence that such ambitious programmes can work, even in remote, low-resource settings. It is important to remember that three landmark interventions made the HIV/AIDS response so successful. These were: simple-to-use tests made point-of-care HIV testing universally available; safe, acceptable, effective ART saved lives; and pre-exposure prophylaxis prevented transmission. A similar level of diagnostic simplicity and well-tolerated treatments need to be developed to make community-wide screening for TB affordable, scalable and effective.