Provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling for TB in low HIV prevalence settings: is it worthwhile?

Background: We assessed the HIV-positive yield of offering provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling (PITC) for TB and the costs, in Madagascar, which has a low HIV prevalence and a high TB burden.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of routinely collected records from January 2010 to June 2011.

Results: A total of 37 596 TB patients were registered in 205 TB centres.

Evidence-based treatment guidelines for sexually transmitted infections developed with and for female sex workers.

Background: Sex work is frequently one of the few options women in low-income countries have to generate income for themselves and their families. Treating and preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among sex workers (SWs) is critical to protect the health of the women and their communities; it is also a cost-effective way to slow the spread of HIV. Outside occasional research settings however, SWs in low-income countries rarely have access to effective STI diagnosis.