NOTE: The following is taken from summaries released by PEPFAR on the PEPFAR Data Dashboard. They are incomplete summary paragraphs only and do not contain the full mechanism details. When the full narratives are released, we will update the mechanism pages accordingly.

URC’s main goal is to assist countries in strengthening TB and fungal HIV co-infection surveillance activities, and in improving access of HIV+ KPs to integrated HIV clinical services in CAR.

During FY 2015-2016 in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, URC will provide TA to national and provincial TB and HIV program staff to 1) intensify TB case finding among PLHIV at targeted high burden TB/HIV districts, 2) improve access to HIV testing among TB patients, 3) ensure linkages to HIV and TB care and treatment across TB and HIV clinics, and 4) strengthen TB/HIV data collection, analysis, use, and dissemination. URC will also improve the reach and delivery of sustainable TB/HIV services by strengthening laboratory diagnostics and providing TA in TB/HIV testing and counseling techniques, including stigma and discrimination towards KPs.

In Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama, URC will 1) provide trainings on rapid and precise methods to improve diagnosis of fungal infections among PLHIV, and 2) develop a web based registry of fungal OIs within official MOH databases in each country.

In addition, URC will 1) support TB infection control measures to prevent transmission of TB in HIV clinics by conducting TB infection control assessments and implementing recommendations in the region, and 2) organize a regional TOT covering various TB topics.

Institutional capacity will be strengthened and accurate and timely data will be available to design interventions to improve services to PLHIV who have TB and/or fungal OIs in CAR. Activities will be harmonized with strategies from GFATM, PAHO, and TBCoE to avoid duplicity of efforts. All activities will be monitored monthly by URC using specific process and output indicators to be identified at a later time.

Since COP2014, PEPFAR no longer produces narratives for every mechanism it funds. However, PEPFAR has now included performance targets or indicator information for each mechanism based on the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting (MER) system. The MER guidance is available on PEPFAR's website https://www.pepfar.gov/reports/guidance/. Note that COP years 2014-2015 were under a previous version of the MER system and the indicators and definitions may have changed as of the new 2.0 guidance.