Abstract #3496  -  Project TUBIDU: Empowering the Public Health System and Civil Society to Fight the Tuberculosis Epidemic among Vulnerable Groups

Authors:

Presenting Author:

Ms Nela Ivanova - Dose of Love

Aim:

PWID are at high risk of HIV and TB as they often have many social and demographic risk factors that put them at higher risk. Such factors include: poverty, unemployment, homelessness, imprisonment, malnutrition and limited access to healthcare. Injecting drug use has also been an important factor in HIV-associated TB epidemics, especially in Eastern Europe. Treatment barriers, including poor adherence and limited access to healthcare, pose unique challenges in testing and treating HIV and TB among PWID. However, the possibility of successful treatment has been demonstrated in a variety of contexts. With adequate support, stable care and experienced personnel, PWID can adhere to long-term treatment and can have clinical outcomes comparable to those who do not use drugs.Consistent provision of client-centered and client-friendly services for PWID including integrated services for addiction/HIV/TB treatment based on the low threshold approach intensifying case finding, including active case finding, contact tracing and active referral to health care services continuous capacity building of different professionals and peers on how to educate PWID on their health condition, how to motivate them to address their health problems inclusion of affected communities in decision making and service provision through greater involvement of community-based organization can help us to significantly alleviate the problem. Essentially we need to acknowledge that people from key-population have the same right to service than other population groups. However, since the traditional service provision models are often unattainable for them or difficult to understand, we need to bring services closer to them by strengthening the outreach work, case-management and motivational interventions like for example contingency management.

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