Title : A comprehensive intervention for TB-HIV co-infected patients in francistown, botswana: Integrating geriatric principles into infectious disease care
Abstract:
Background: Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV co-infection remains a significant public health challenge in Botswana, with a high mortality rate among affected individuals. While standard pharmacological treatments are effective, they often fail to address the broader health and wellness needs of these patients.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive, non-pharmacological intervention program for TB-HIV patients in Francistown, Botswana. The complex intervention combines elements of traditional sanatoria treatment with a rational, pragmatic geriatric approach, focusing on enhancing physical health, nutritional status, treatment adherence, and geriatric medical follow-up.
Methods: A pilot study will be conducted with 60 TB-HIV co-infected patients, randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will receive tailored physical training, nutritional support, and continuous geriatric monitoring. The control group will continue with standard care. The primary outcome measures will be mortality rate reduction, reduction in hospital admissions, and frequency of recurrent infections. Secondary outcomes include improved health-related quality of life and treatment adherence.
Results: While the study is ongoing, we anticipate that the integrated intervention will significantly reduce mortality and improve the overall health and quality of life of TB-HIV patients in the intervention group compared to the control group.
Conclusion: This study proposes a novel approach to managing TB-HIV co-infection by drawing on geriatric principles. If successful, this approach could be adapted and transferred for broader use in high-burden settings, particularly in areas requiring integrated care for chronic infectious diseases. We warmly welcome collaboration with other researchers, healthcare organizations, and funding bodies interested in joining us to further develop this project.
Audience Take Away:
- TB-HIV co-infected patients share similarities with geriatric patients, such as vulnerability and reduced health reserves.
- Geriatric medicine’s holistic approach, which addresses the full spectrum of a patient's needs, could reasonably be applied to TB-HIV patients to improve outcomes
- Through this presentation, we aim to demonstrate the potential of integrating geriatric principles into the management of high-burden infectious diseases.
- We would welcome collaboration with other researchers, healthcare organizations, and funding bodies interested in joining this innovative project in Botswana.
