title: Provider-Initiated HIV testing and counseling among patients with presumptive tuberculosis in Democratic Republic of Congo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling (PITC) of patients with presumptive tuberculosis (TB) is not widely implemented and the burden of HIV among them is not well characterized. We assessed the uptake of PITC and prevalence of HIV among patients with presumptive TB in primary care settings in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
  
  
  METHODS
  PITC was implemented in primary care TB clinics in Kinshasa and Kisangani, respectively. In each of the clinics, all patients presenting with cough lasting more than two weeks or any other symptom suggestive of TB were offered HIV testing and counseling and those found to be HIV+ were linked to HIV care and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between November 2011 and June 2013, 43,145 patients with presumptive TB were registered in 65 clinics in Kinshasa of whom 84.0% were counseled; 92.4% of those counseled were tested and 4,320 (12.9%) were found to be HIV+. Similarly, in Kisangani, of the 6,687 patients with presumptive TB were registered in 13 clinics, 80.5% were counseled; 99.3% were tested for HIV and 619 (11.6%) were found to be HIV+.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of PITC among patients with presumptive TB in primary care clinics was associated with high uptake of HIV testing and identification of high number of HIV+ patients.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University, College of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Columbus, OH, USA; The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Epidemiology, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yotebieng
authors.affiliation: The University of Kinshasa, School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Landry Kipula
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Wenzi
authors.affiliation: The University of Kinshasa, School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Basaki
authors.affiliation: The University of Kinshasa, School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Marie Louise
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Batumbula
authors.affiliation: The University of Kinshasa, School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabala
authors.affiliation: The University of Kinshasa, School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Eugenie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mungoyo
authors.affiliation: The University of Kinshasa, School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mangala
authors.affiliation: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Epidemiology, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Frieda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Behets
mesh_terms: D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: DR Congo; HIV prevalence; PITC; Presumptive tuberculosis