A large campaign in Uganda to ramp up HIV testing and immediate HIV treatment reduced the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in the intervention communities by 27% after one year, underlining the potential impact of HIV-related investments on wider population health, investigators of the SEARCH study reported at the 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022) on Sunday.
The SEARCH study is one of the largest implementation studies of universal HIV test-and-treat to be conducted. The study randomised communities to receive either the intervention or standard of care according to national guidelines and took place between 2013 and 2016 in rural communities in Uganda and Kenya. The intervention consisted of:
- A multi-disease prevention campaign that included testing for HIV, diabetes and hypertension, with a two-week health fair and household testing in each community.
- Linkage to care of anyone who tested positive
- Immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART), regardless of CD4 count.
Results from the SEARCH study have been presented at several major conferences and demonstrate substantial impact of the intervention, including:
- Very high rates of HIV testing and viral suppression
- Faster and greater uptake of antiretroviral treatment in the intervention communities, together with reduced mortality
- A reduction in the incidence of active tuberculosis (TB)
- A reduction in HIV infections in infants.
