Written Answers | International Development: HIV Infection: Tuberculosis

Andrew George MP (St Ives, Liberal Democrat)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to (a) integrate HIV and TB services and (b) support testing for HIV and screening for TB in countries where HIV and TB are prevalent.

Stephen O’Brien (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, International Development; Eddisbury, Conservative)

Scaling up access to HIV and TB diagnosis, treatment, care and support, including early infant diagnosis, within integrated services is listed as one of the UK’s strategic priorities in the recently published position paper on HIV: “Towards zero infections”. We will continue to focus on both HIV and TB in countries where they are prevalent, and on strengthening the underlying health systems in order to improve the way health services diagnose and treat illnesses, including TB and TB-HIV co-infection.

Our multilateral support to the new UNAIDS Unified Budget, Results and Accountability Framework (UBRAF) will also promote the strengthening of country systems to increase access to antiretroviral therapy and implement collaborative TB/HIV activities, including HIV testing for TB patients and TB screening for people living with HIV.