WHO consolidated guidelines on tuberculosis: module 6: tuberculosis and comorbidities, 2nd ed.

Overview

Addressing TB comorbidities and risk factors is central to the World Health Organization (WHO) End TB Strategy. These guidelines consolidate the latest WHO recommendations on TB and key comorbidities. The guidelines are a living document and will include dedicated sections for each key TB comorbidity or health-related risk factor. The first edition focused on HIV-associated TB, updating the WHO policy on collaborative TB/HIV activities. This second edition expands on the previous edition and consolidates new and existing recommendations on interventions to address undernutrition in people with TB, to provide food assistance to households of people with TB in food-insecure settings, and to screen for TB among those who are undernourished or food insecure.

HIV and undernutrition are leading health-related drivers of TB globally, both negatively impacting on TB treatment outcomes. TB remains the top cause of death among people with HIV, and nearly half of people with TB are undernourished, which in turn increases their risk of early mortality.

These guidelines are intended for use by ministries of health, particularly TB programmes and departments addressing related health conditions and risk factors, by implementing partners, technical and funding agencies, civil society, affected communities, clinicians, and by public health practitioners.

The guidelines are complemented by an operational handbook, that provides practical advice on how to implement the recommendations at the scale needed to achieve national and global impact.