title: HIV-TB Cross-referral and Collaborative Strategy: 8 Years of Our Experience from An Urban Health Centre in North India.
abstract: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) epidemics continue to fuel each other and with
  dual infections with these two deadly diseases on the rise, it becomes imperative to devise effective HIV-TB collaborative strategies. The present study was designed to evaluate the existing HIV-TB cross-referral mechanism at an urban health centre; to determine HIV sero-prevalence among pulmonary TB patients referred from chest clinic to the integrated counselling and testing centre (ICTC); and to evaluate the TB suspects referred from ICTC to the chest clinic for a possible TB aetiology.
  
  
  
  The present study was a retrospective analysis of HIV-TB cross-referrals whereby a line list of all the patients referred under this strategy from January 2006 to December 2013 was retrieved and analysed.
  
  
  
  A total of 3726 TB cases were referred to the ICTC and 641 TB suspects were identified by ICTC counsellors and
  referred to the chest clinic during this period. HIV sero-prevalence among TB patients was 2.8% (106 of 3726) and TB
  prevalence among HIV sero-positive and sero-negative TB suspects was 9.3% (10/108) and 4.3% (9/211), respectively
  (p=0.07). HIV prevalence was found to be significantly higher among male (n=2024) than among female (n=1702) TB
  patients (4.4% versus 0.9%; p<0.0001). Only 319 of 641 (49.8%) ICTC patients referred to the chest clinic reached there.
  
  
  
  Our study highlights the strong need to scale up the integration and partnership between HIV and TB programmes for better and integrated diagnosis and care of HIV-TB co-infected patients.
authors.forename: Bhanu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mehra
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matlani
authors.forename: Deepti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rawat
authors.forename: Hitender
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gautam
authors.forename: Preena
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhalla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult