Study aims to lump hypertension, diabetes, HIV into one screening

HIV, diabetes and hypertension are three of the greatest threats to global health. Screening for them all at once opens the possibility of addressing each health issue more effectively and at a lower cost.

Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina intend to evaluate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the integration of screening and care for diabetes and hypertension with HIV screening and care in Tanzania. The efforts are funded by a $3.1 million National Institutes of Health grant received by the University’s Center for Global Health.

"Global health is everyone's health," Michael D. Sweat, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina and director of the Center for Global Health, said. "The greatest burdens of disease in the world—HIV, diabetes, and hypertension, among others—know no borders. This grant will enable us to discover better and more efficient ways to address these threats to health, no matter where they arise."

Clemson University’s Department of Bioengineering is a partner in the study. Delphine Dean an associate professor of bioengineering at Clemson, will direct the development of low-cost, diagnostic devices in her laboratory and provide technical support to the health clinics in Tanzania.

"The lack of medical equipment, devices and tests in resource-poor areas such as rural Tanzania limits clinicians' ability to diagnose and treat," Dean said. "By working together, we can improve accessibility to technology and improve global health."