Diagnosis of TB in children is made difficult by children not being able to expectorate sputum on command. People living with HIV (PLHIV) often also find expectoration of sputum challenging. This project ‘Alternatives to Sputum for TB Testing in Indonesia and Ethiopia (ASTTIE)’, funded by WHO, assesses how non-evasive testing (stool testing for children and urine testing for PLHIV) could confirm TB infection and would lead to more accurate diagnosis and timely treatment, and provides recommendations on how this testing can be incorporated into diagnostic algorithms. Since project approval in late 2019, the study teams were recruited and protocols were developed and fine-tuned in collaboration with stakeholders in Ethiopia and Indonesia ensuring readiness for full-scale project implementation in 2020.
Alternatives to Sputum for TB Testing in Indonesia and Ethiopia (ASTTIE)
