ECHO Global Health Initiatives in HIV, TB and Health Security

Project ECHO is rapidly growing in Africa, Asia and Latin America, supporting care and treatment in HIV, Tuberculosis (TB), laboratory strengthening, and global health security. HIV, TB and other infectious diseases are treatable with the right knowledge at the right place and right time.

The Global HIV ECHO Initiative

The Global HIV ECHO Initiative is a collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other partners aiming to improve care and treatment of the estimated 37 million people living with HIV (PLHIV) worldwide. The initiative currently focuses on high burden countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia and Latin-America supported through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Read more about CDC's collaboration with ECHO in Namibia.

The Global TB ECHO Initiative

The Global TB ECHO Initiative supports the WHO Global Plan to End TB. More than twelve countries are implementing TB ECHO programs in Vietnam, India, Georgia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Namibia, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, along the US-Mexico Border and in the states of New Mexico, Colorado, Washington, and Massachusetts in the US.

The programs focus on strengthening care and treatment of multi-drug resistant TB, pediatric TB, TB Data 4 Action and TB infection.

ECHO Programs Focused on Laboratory Strengthening

• ECHO programs focused on laboratory strengthening are part of the effort to address HIV, TB and global health security threats.
• The ECHO Institute is working with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) connecting 11 African countries to share best practices on HIV Viral Load Scale Up, the Tanzania Health Promotion System (THPS) on improving HIV Rapid Testing and TB diagnostics across Tanzania, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) to address Antimicrobial Resistance in Kenya and Ethiopia, and the South Africa National Health Laboratory Service to strengthen laboratory services.
• Project ECHO supports the Global Health Security Initiative by working with the Africa CDC in their mission to improve infectious disease surveillance, public health emergency preparedness and response, including addressing outbreaks and public health events of regional and international concern such as cholera and Ebola. Public Health specialists in over 40 African countries connect through regular teleECHO sessions to share information on infectious disease outbreaks and International Health Regulation implementation.
• As of the end of 2019, Project ECHO is part of a consortium to support One Health training activities in Asia and Africa. More information: One Health Workforce for the Next Generation.

Information Sheets:

• ECHO in Africa
• HIV ECHOs Globally
• TB ECHOs Globally