Dr. Jay Varma Speaks at September's Global Health Grand Rounds

Dr. Jay Varma (center) with MD-PhD student Nikki Goodsmith (left) and Associate Dean of Affiliations Dr. Oliver Fein (right)

Dr. Jay K. Varma, Deputy Commissioner for Disease Control in the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, delivered the Global Health Grand Rounds Lecture for September on “Improving Diagnosis of Tuberculosis Among HIV-Infected Persons in the Developing World”.  His lecture focused on the diagnosis of tuberculosis in HIV-infected individuals in resource-limited settings.  HIV and tuberculosis are a syndemic – two health conditions that act synergistically to increase morbidity and mortality in a population.  As HIV prevalence has increased over the past 30 years, incidence of tuberculosis disease has simultaneously risen.  Dr. Varma conducted a study in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand, in which he focused on what symptoms or combinations of symptoms could be indicative of tuberculosis in HIV-positive individuals. Previously, the WHO guidelines suggested using a ‘cough of greater than 2 weeks’ as a screening tool for tuberculosis diagnosis, but Dr. Varma’s study found that the WHO’s recommendation was not sensitive enough.  Based on his study findings, Dr. Varma collaborated with the WHO to change the guidelines on tuberculosis diagnosis in resource poor settings.  He helped develop the first evidence-based approach to screen and diagnose tuberculosis in HIV-infected people.  
 

When available, information on next month’s Global Health Grand Rounds will be available here. Please join us!