Feasibility Study of Coach Mpilo Peer Support for Men with Tuberculosis and HIV in Eastern Cape, South Africa

What this Trial Is About

Men tend to have worse outcomes throughout the tuberculosis TB care process, including less symptom reporting, diagnosis, and treatment completion, especially when also living with HIV. This research evaluates the feasibility of Coach Mpilo CM, a peer-support intervention originally designed to help men with HIV, adapted here for men with TB and TBHIV co-infection. The study aims to assess how well this coaching model works for men starting TB treatment and for those co-infected with HIV, focusing on treatment completion and viral suppression as key outcomes. The study includes two main groups men beginning TB treatment who receive either the CM peer support or usual clinic-based care, and men co-infected with TB and HIV who receive the adapted CM support or standard care. The CM intervention involves trained peer coaches with personal experience in TB and HIV treatment providing support and guidance to help men stay on their treatment plans. Participants will be randomized to either the CM support or standard care in a controlled trial. Participants will be followed through their TB treatment and beyond, with assessments of how feasible, acceptable, and safe the CM intervention is for men. Researchers will measure TB treatment completion within 180 days and, for those with HIV, adherence to antiretroviral therapy and viral load suppression up to 210 days. The study involves interviews, simulations, and monitoring of treatment progress to gather data on outcomes and inform future larger trials. Total participation lasts through treatment and follow-up periods of about 6 to 7 months.

Assessing the Feasibility of Coach Mpilo for Men With TB and HIV