TB Program

TB is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and one of the most common opportunistic infections they experience.  People who are infected with HIV are especially susceptible to developing active tuberculosis (TB). The prevalence of HIV infection among patients in TB clinical settings is high, up to 70 percent in Zambia.

Our Response – MMH TB CLINIC

As a part of the PEPFAR global response we provide unified fully integrate HIV prevention, treatment and care with TB services.

TB Clinic activities at MMH include:

• Community education
• It is essential to establish linkages between TB treatment and antiretroviral treatment so that people who are co-infected receive the medical attention they need. Our TB Clinic is located strategically right next to our HIV/AIDS clinic so we can better coordinate correct medication.
• Providing HIV testing for people with TB and improving TB diagnosis for PLWHA;
• Ensuring that eligible TB patients receive HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care including antiretroviral treatment, cotrimoxazole to prevent active TB;
• Improving TB infection control to prevent PLWHA from coming in direct contact with someone with active TB;
• Implementing the WHO-recommended TB treatment protocol, Directly Observed Therapy- Short Course (DOTS), in order to ensure that patients complete their TB treatment; 
• To respond to the increasing rate of smear-negative and extrapulmonary TB among PLWHA, implementing laboratory-strengthening activities (e.g. enhanced capacity to detect both smear negative and extrapulmonary TB among PLWHA, external quality assessment, drug resistance surveillance, and rapid detection of TB drug resistance for clinical decision-making); and  
• Supporting activities to address multi-drug resistant and extensively-drug resistant TB for TB/HIV patients, including rapid TB diagnosis and treatment.