New regimen of drugs for TB/HIV patients launched

PUDUCHERRY, JAN 2017:

A new daily regimen of Fixed Dose Combinations (FDC) for TB/HIV patients was launched at the Indira Gandhi Medical College, Kathirkamam.

This follows the Central TB Division deciding to adopt FDC with daily regimen wherein all the four ATT drugs are combined and packed in a single tablet to reduce the number of pills intake and to improve the patient compliance.

Major challenge

According to a press note, tuberculosis was the most common opportunistic infection among HIV positives in India with about 25 per cent of deaths in HIV due to TB. With about 5 per cent of diagnosed TB patients found to be HIV positive in India, the situation posed a major public health challenge.

Aiming to control this menace, the Central TB Division and National AIDS Control Organisation have started collaboration since 2001. All the clients attending Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC), the Facility Integrated ICTC and the anti-retroviral therapy centres were screened for TB with four symptoms complex and the diagnosis are made swiftly with a newer technology called CBNAAT wherein the results are obtained within the same day. At present, the DOTS treatment (intermittent regimen) was the standard for the diagnosed TBHIV co-infected patients.

The FDC regimen adopted by the Central TB Division was launched at the antiretroviral therapy centre at the IGMCRI by Dr. K.V. Raman, Director (Health and Family Welfare Services) in the presence of Dr. Kalimuthu, Mission Director (PSHM), Dr. S. Govindarajan, State TB Officer, and Dr. S.Jayanthi, Project Director, Pondicherry AIDS Control Society. The Hindu