P2.169 Using Biometric Technology to Track TB-HIV Co-Infected Patients

Abstract

Background: It is estimated that there are over one million people co-infected with tuberculosis (TB) and HIV and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has been shown to be twice as common in HIV patients. Because TB and HIV have long treatment durations and are both vulnerable to drug resistance, Operation ASHA's adherence model has demonstrated that it is capable of fighting drug resistant TB, HIV/AIDS, and TB-HIV co-infections. Methods: To fight the rise of MDR-TB, Operation ASHA developed eCompliance with Microsoft Research and Innovators in Health. eCompliance is a biometric terminal that allows health programmes to track patient adherence to medicines over long periods of time. The system updates a central online database on a daily basis through SMS. This combination of biometric and mobile technology has digitised attendance logs and has reduced the response time for counsellors to address defaulting patients. Results: The system has been proven to dramatically improve patient adherence to tuberculosis treatment, and the concept is being utilised to directly address the problem MDR-TB and HIV. Conclusion: This presentation discusses the effectiveness of eCompliance to dispense second-line MDR-TB medicines and ARVs.