2009 Press Releases

March 24, 2009

United States Supports TB Prevention in T&T

Dr. Robert Koch           Nobel Laureate, 1905

The United States Embassy joins Trinidad and Tobago in commemorating the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB).  The United States, and countries around the world will commemorate this day by celebrating the lives and stories of people affected by TB: women, men and children who have taken TB treatment, medical professionals, researchers, and community workers are all essential team members in the global fight against TB. The US Embassy would like to take this opportunity to commend Trinidad and Tobago for its ongoing commitment to prevent and control the spread of this major public health problem.

The USAID funded Caribbean Regional TB/HIV Initiative began in 2006.  The program offers training to health care workers throughout the Caribbean who respond to patients with HIV/AIDS and TB. The goal of the program is to improve the coordination of treatment services for patients with HIV/AIDS and TB. This initiative is the joint effort of  the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) and the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Network (CHART), with technical assistance from the Francis J. Curry National Tuberculosis Center (CNTC) and the International Training and Education Center on HIV (I-TECH).

Roughly 40 million people globally are living with HIV; approximately one-third of these are also infected with TB. The two diseases represent a deadly combination, as they are more destructive together than either disease is alone. We know that improved collaboration between TB and HIV/AIDS programs can lead to more effective control of TB among HIV-infected people, and to significant public health gains.

USAID's efforts in Trinidad and Tobago have produced positive results. Since 2006, 20 physicians and nurses have been trained in the clinical management of TB and HIV; and Trinidad and Tobago has developed a TB/HIV collaborative work plan. Additionally, the CAREC TB guidelines have been updated to incorporate the International Standards for Tuberculosis Care, resulting in the Interim Caribbean Guidelines for the Prevention, Treatment, Care, and Control of Tuberculosis (CTBG).

Despite recent progress, TB remains a major global public health problem, with nearly nine million new cases and more than 1.7 million deaths each year. The United States, through USAID, will continue to support efforts to strengthen the public health system in Trinidad and Tobago. In May of 2009 the Caribbean Regional TB/HIV Initiative will conduct a Train-the-Trainer Workshop to further strengthen the skills of pre-selected local health workers.