Integration of HIV testing in tuberculosis drug resistance surveillance in Kazakhstan and Kenya [Short communication]

In Kenya and Kazakhstan, integration of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing results into the routine surveillance of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) proved feasible and useful. The integration process improved overall data quality and data validation capacity, and integrated data are a useful addition to routine cohort and treatment outcome data. Besides their importance for individual patient care, they provide trends on the association of MDR-TB and HIV in the routine programme setting. They also form a useful epidemiological basis for more specific studies, such as on nosocomial outbreaks. Whether the system itself is sensitive enough to monitor possible outbreaks needs further investigation.