Getting the news that one has TB and HIV can be met with shock, fear, and sometimes denial. But access to information and treatment can help ease these fears. 

Liziwe Gece is one of two Eastern Cape provincial coordinators for USAID’s Tuberculosis South Africa Project. She works in the O.R. Tambo district to bring information and much-needed assistance to the district’s health care system so those affected by TB and HIV have access to effective treatment.

To ensure that people are well taken care of, both the USAID TB South Africa Project and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) partner TBHIVCare, supported by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), have teamed up to assist the Eastern Cape Local Health Department to help save and prolong lives in the Eastern Cape. TBHIVCare assists with screening and follow-up of patients who test positive for HIV and TB, and the USAID TB South Africa project provides advice on drug regimens to be used for treatment, especially with Multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). Together, we can beat TB and save the lives of people living with HIV.