WHO policy on collaborative TB/HIV activities: guidelines for national programmes and other stakeholders

    Año de publicación: 2012

    In 2004, the World Health Organization (WHO) published an interim policy on collaborative TB/HIV activities in response to demand from countries for immediate guidance on actions to decrease the dual burden of tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The term interim was used because the evidence was incomplete at that time. Since then, additional evidence has been generated from randomized controlled trials, observational studies, operational research and best practices from programmatic implementation of the collaborative TB/HIV activities recommended by the policy. Furthermore, a number of TB and HIV guidelines and policy recommendations have been developed by WHO’s Stop TB and HIV/AIDS departments. Updated policy guidelines were therefore warranted to consolidate the latest available evidence and WHO recommendations on the management of HIV-related TB for national programme managers, implementers and other stakeholders. The process of updating the policy was overseen by a WHO Steering Group and advised by a Policy Updating Group that followed WHO recommendations for developing guidelines. The Policy Updating Group comprised policy-makers, programme managers, experts in TB and HIV, donor agencies, civil society organizations including people living with HIV, and a grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) methodologist. The WHO Steering Group prepared the initial draft, which was circulated to the Policy Updating Group and discussed via e-mail and a conference call. The refined draft policy was reviewed again by the members of the Policy Updating Group and sent to a wide range of peer reviewers before finalization.