People living with HIV with active tuberculosis disease

Export Indicator

Percentage of people living with HIV newly enrolled on HIV treatment diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) disease during the reporting period
What it measures

he burden of TB disease among people living with HIV who are newly enrolled in HIV treatment. It also indirectly measures efforts to detect HIVassociated TB early.

Rationale

The primary aims of TB screening in HIV care settings and provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling for people diagnosed with TB are early detection of HIV-associated TB and prompt provision of antiretroviral therapy and TB treatment. Although intensified TB case-finding should be implemented among all people living with HIV at each visit to HIV care and treatment facilities, it is particularly important at the time of enrolment, since the risk of undetected TB is higher among newly enrolled patients than among those already receiving antiretroviral therapy. Furthermore, newly enrolled people living with HIV may be less aware of TB symptoms and the importance of early detection and treatment, and they may not seek care for general or specific TB symptoms. Intensified TB case-finding offers an opportunity to educate people living with HIV and to detect TB early. All people living with HIV among which TB disease is detected should start anti-TB treatment immediately and antiretroviral therapy within eight weeks (if they are not already receiving antiretroviral medicine).

Numerator

Total number of people living with HIV newly enrolled in HIV treatment who have been diagnosed with TB disease during the reporting period

Denominator

Total number of people newly enrolled in HIV treatment (i.e., those who registered for antiretroviral therapy during the reporting period)

Calculation

Numerator/denominator

Method of measurement

The outcome of TB investigations among people living with HIV presumed to have TB should be recorded on the HIV antiretroviral therapy card (in the “Investigations” column in the Encounters section) and in the antiretroviral therapy registers (the monthly and quarterly follow-up sections, respectively). Similarly, people diagnosed with TB who are found to be HIV-positive should be enrolled into HIV treatment promptly and their TB status recorded on the antiretroviral therapy card and registers.

For the numerator. At the end of the reporting period, count the total number of people living with HIV newly enrolled in HIV treatment who were diagnosed with TB disease. Data should be drawn from TB- and HIV-sided services and data sources.

For the denominator. Count the total number of people living with HIV who are newly enrolled in HIV treatment (i.e., those who started antiretroviral therapy during the reporting period).

The information on TB status in the antiretroviral therapy registers should be updated and reconciled with the TB registers in relevant basic management units before consolidation and reporting to higher levels.

See Annex 5 for further understanding of the indicator (Annex 5 of the 2024 Global AIDS Monitoring (GAM) guidelines).

Measurement frequency

Data should be recorded daily and reported to the national or subnational level as part of routine quarterly reporting. Data should also be submitted annually to UNAIDS.

Disaggregation

None.

Additional information requested

None.

Strengths and weaknesses

Reviewing the trends in TB among people living with HIV who are newly enrolled in treatment over a period of time may provide useful information on: (a) the TB burden among them; and (b) the effectiveness of efforts to detect and treat HIV-associated TB early.

This indicator may underestimate the actual burden of HIV-associated TB, since it may exclude: (a) people among whom TB was detected through provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling, but who were not enrolled in HIV treatment; or (b) those who have disseminated forms of TB, remain asymptomatic and were missed during routine TB screening. A high indicator value may mean high TB rates or effective TB screening and HIV testing programmes, whereas a low value may reflect poor TB screening and HIV testing or successful TB control efforts. The indicator value, therefore, needs to be interpreted carefull.

 

Further information

A guide to monitoring and evaluation for collaborative TB/HIV activities. 2015 revision. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2015 (https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/150627/9789241508278_en...)

Related Indicators

TB.4 PLHIV with active TB disease, 2020, WHO Consolidated HIV strategic information guidelines: driving impact through programme monitoring and management (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/consolidated-hiv-strategic-information-guidelines).