With the aim of reducing mortality from tuberculosis by 75% and reducing the incidence rate by 70% by 2025, the Ministry of Health presented this Wednesday, March 22, the protocol for preventive therapy for latent tuberculosis infection in HIV positive patients by the Ministry of Health (Minsa), through the National Tuberculosis Program in collaboration with IntraHealth International, the Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Edwin Aizpurúa, national head of the Minsa Tuberculosis Program, pointed out that the treatment for latent tuberculosis infection has been updated with the purpose of reinforcing care for HIV-positive patients.
He explained that other objectives of the protocol are to apply the established preventive treatment with isoniazid for latent tuberculosis infection and the new scheme Rifapentine in conjunction with isoniazid that improves adherence in HIV-positive patients and ensure patient registration.
The specialist reiterated to people that when presenting symptoms such as persistent cough for more than 15 days, weight loss, fever and night sweats, go to the health facility where the test can be performed and the disease detected in time to proceed with the respective treatments.
