BackgroundThough internationally recommended, provider initiated HIV testing and counseling (PITC) of persons suspected of tuberculosis (TB) is not a policy in India; HIV seroprevalence among TB suspects has never been reported. The current policy of PITC for diagnosed TB cases may limit opportunities of early HIV diagnosis and treatment. We determined HIV seroprevalence among persons suspected of TB and assessed feasibility and effectiveness of PITC implementation at this earlier stage in the TB diagnostic pathway.MethodsAll adults examined for diagnostic sputum microscopy (TB suspects) in Vizianagaram district (population 2.5 million), in November-December 2010, were offered voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) and assessed for TB diagnosis.ResultsOf 2918 eligible TB suspects, 2465(85%) consented to VCT. Among these, 246(10%) were HIV-positive. Of the 246, 84(34%) were newly diagnosed as HIV (HIV status not known previously). To detect a new case of HIV infection, the number needed to screen (NNS) was 26 among ‘TB suspects’, comparable to that among ‘TB patients’. Among suspects aged 25–54 years, not diagnosed as TB, the NNS was 17.ConclusionThe seroprevalence of HIV among ‘TB suspects’ was as high as that among ‘TB patients’. Implementation of PITC among TB suspects was feasible and effective, detecting a large number of new HIV cases with minimal additional workload on staff of HIV testing centre. HIV testing of TB suspects aged 25–54 years demonstrated higher yield for a given effort, and should be considered by policy makers at least in settings with high HIV prevalence.

Setting:Ten peripheral health institutions of a tribal t uberculosis unit, Saluru, Vizianagaram District, South India. Objective: To assess among tuberculosis (TB) patients: 1) the feasibility of screening for diabetes mellitus (DM), 2) the prevalence of DM, 3) the demographic and clinical features associated with DM, and 4) the number needed to screen (NNS) to find one new case of DM. Design: Cross-sectional study: all TB patients registered from January to September 2012 were screened for DM using a screening questionnaire and random blood glucose, followed by fasting blood glucose (FBG) measurements using a glucometer. DM was diagnosed if FBG was ⩾126 mg/dl. Results: Of 381 patients, 374 (98%) were assessed for DM, suggesting feasibility of screening, and 19 (5%) were found to have DM (12 were newly diagnosed and 7 had a previous diagnosis of DM). The only characteristic associated with DM was age ⩾40 years. The NNS to detect a new case of DM among all TB patients was 31; among those aged ⩾40 years, the NNS was 20, and among current smokers it was 21. Conclusion: Screening of TB patients for DM was feasible and effective, and this should inform national scaleup. Other key considerations include the continued provision of free TB-DM screening, with co-location and integration of services. showed that of 8109 TB patients who were assessed for DM, 1084 (13%) were found to have DM, based on fasting blood glucose (FBG) measurements. Based on these data, a policy decision was made by India's Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) to implement countrywide screening of TB patients for DM. 11 One limitation of this study, however, was that it published only aggregate data from all sites, and may have missed site-specifi c variations, and other socio-demographic and clinical factors affecting the effectiveness and feasibility of the screening programme. AFFILIATIONSWe therefore analysed individual patient data and described the effectiveness of screening all TB patients for DM in one tribal TU. The tribal area is remote and diffi cult to access due to poor connectivity and lack of other basic infrastructure. Indicators relating to literacy, economic status, social status and access to health care services are poor among tribes compared to the general population. 12 The tribes are in transition from a forest-centred way of life to a rural, settled farming lifestyle. Given the different lifestyle, more access to unprocessed, fi brerich foods, including fruit and vegetables in their diet and greater daily physical activity, we hypothesized that the prevalence of DM would be considerably lower in tribal areas when compared with the rest of the country. The specifi c objectives of the study were to assess, among a cohort of TB patients: 1) the feasibility of screening for DM, 2) the prevalence of DM, 3) the demographic and clinical features associated with DM, and 4) the number needed to screen (NNS) to fi nd one new case of DM among TB patients. 13,14 METHODS Study designThis was a descriptive study of all TB patie...