HIV and TB Overview: Trinidad and Tobago

At a glance

CDC works with partners in Trinidad and Tobago to strengthen the country's public health and clinical systems. CDC delivers quality HIV testing and treatment services and responds to emerging public health threats.

Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.

Background

CDC's office in Trinidad and Tobago is part of CDC’s Caribbean Regional Office (CRO), located in Jamaica. CDC supports the Government and partners to reach the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) 95-95-95 goals.

Some of CDC’s primary goals include the following:

  • Improve access to quality services for PLHIV.
  • Enhance laboratory capacity.
  • Improve viral load testing.
  • Re-engage PLHIV who experienced interrupted treatment.
  • Retain PLHIV on treatment to achieve viral suppression.
  • Improve data access and quality, particularly for people at higher risk of HIV.

Download CDC's Trinidad and Tobago Fact Sheet‎

Learn more about CDC's global HIV and TB work in Trinidad and Tobago.

HIV and TB data

HIV/AIDS

Estimated HIV Prevalence (Ages 15-49)

Estimated AIDS Deaths (Age≥15)

Estimated Orphans Due to AIDS

Reported Number Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy (Age≥15)

Tuberculosis (TB)

Estimated TB Incidence

TB Patients with Known HIV-Status who are HIV-Positive

TB Treatment Success Rate

Key activities and accomplishments

CDC is building clinical capacity to institutionalize WHO Treat All Guidelines and support gaps in the 95-95-95 cascade.

HIV, prevention, care, and treatment

Key activities and accomplishments around HIV case finding include:

  • Providing technical assistance for case-finding.
    • This includes index testing and enhanced partner notification.
  • Targeted interventions for men at higher risk through men’s health services.
  • Integrated sexually transmitted infections and HIV prevention and care.
  • Revised policies to have HIV recency testing as well as self-testing.

Key activities and accomplishments around HIV treatment include:

  • Building capacity to implement Treat All (all PLHIV initiated on antiretroviral treatment (ART))
  • Expanding access and use of prevention and treatment services among people at higher risk of HIV.
    • Services include differentiated care models and evening clinic hours.
  • Enhancing psychosocial services and treatment adherence support.
  • Fast-tracking stable patients (Rapid Pathway Model).
  • Viremia clinics for managing patients who are not virally suppressed.

Key activities and accomplishments around returning PLHIV back to care include:

  • Implementing interventions for returning to care.
  • Launching Undetectable equals Untransmittable (U=U) campaignsA.
  • Implementing entry to care campaigns to return patients to care.
  • Strengthening peer navigation.

Another key activity was implementing behavior change strategies to reduce stigma and discrimination by health care workers towards PLHIV, particularly people at higher risk. These strategies used gender diversity and sexuality sensitization training.

Enhance laboratory capacity

Key activities and accomplishments around enhancing laboratory capacity include:

  • Supporting continuous quality improvement toward accreditation.
    • Including technical training to strengthen human resource capacity.
  • Implementing the HIV Rapid Test Quality Improvement Initiative*B
  • Expanding the Laboratory Information System.
  • Scaling up and strengthening of viral load testing.
  • Strengthening the National Laboratory Services Network.
  • Supporting implementation of routine HIV drug resistance testing.

Strategic information

Key activities and accomplishments around strategic information include:

  • Enhancing the availability of high quality and timely data.
    • Strengthening systems to monitor and evaluate program interventions.
    • Strengthening data collection tools and data visualization tools.
    • Strengthening development of data tracking systems.
  • Informing programming by producing estimates of the number of people at higher risk of HIV .
  • Building culture of data use through:
    • Timely data analysis.
    • Linking of systems (surveillance, prevention, treatment, laboratory).
  • Supporting staff capacity at national, regional, and site levels to:
    • Monitor and evaluate HIV programming.
    • Make informed program and policy decisions.

Resources

Tracking PEPFAR Impact Toward Global Targets
CDC's leadership role in PHIA surveys including where these surveys have been conducted.
On the Frontlines
Partners in South Africa are leading efforts to implement PEPFAR's DREAMS program for adolescent gir...
CDC in the Caribbean
Learn about CDC's work in the Caribbean, including Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.
Central America and Caribbean Regional Office
Learn more about CDC's Central America and Caribbean Regional Office.
Trinidad and Tobago | Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

Support for CDC's global HIV and TB efforts
‎

CDC's Division of Global HIV & TB activities are implemented as part of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Non-HIV related TB activities are supported by non-PEPFAR funding.

Our success is built on the backbone of science and strong partnerships.

Print
Content Source:
Global Health Center
  1. U=U campaign communicates that PLHIV will not transmit the virus once viral suppression is reached and HIV is undetectable on tests.
  2. Initiative monitors quality assurance of HIV testing and provides external quality assurance panels to monitor HIV and related testing.