On August 10, 2025, ACCESS Health, in collaboration with the William J. Clinton Foundation (WJCF), convened a consensus-building workshop to address Tuberculosis (TB) in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) – a high-risk group often overlooked in mainstream TB care.
CKD patients face unique clinical vulnerabilities. Compromised immunity and complex treatment regimens heighten the risk of poor outcomes when TB is not detected early or managed appropriately. While programmatic frameworks provide broad guidance for immunocompromised populations, there are no specific Standard Treatment Protocols (STPs) tailored to CKD patients.
This gap, coupled with wide variability in clinical practice across providers and facilities, results in inconsistent screening and treatment pathways. Such inconsistency undermines patient outcomes and limits the development of scalable, evidence-based approaches at the national level. Reaching consensus was therefore critical to align evidence with actionable strategies.
The workshop brought together leading clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to deliberate on strengthening TB screening, diagnosis, and management among CKD patients, including those on dialysis and awaiting transplants. By harmonizing perspectives, the consultation ensured that CKD patients are not left behind in India’s TB elimination efforts and laid the groundwork for evidence-based updates to the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP).
As the knowledge partner, ACCESS Health conducted the background research, framed the evidence base, and guided discussions on systematic screening protocols, tailored treatment pathways, and the need for programmatic guidance to better serve this vulnerable population.
The workshop not only achieved consensus on priority actions but also set in motion a process that can influence long-term policy directions in TB and CKD care. By embedding practitioner, researcher, and policymaker perspectives, it moved beyond immediate concerns to chart a path for sustainable, evidence-driven health system reform.