# Hybrid trial for Alcohol reduction among people with TB and HIV in India (HATHI)

> **NIH NIH R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $665,919

## Abstract

The highest incidence of tuberculosis disease (TB) in the world is in India, accounting for 27% of all new cases
globally, with approximately 86,000 among persons with HIV (PWH). Unhealthy alcohol use triples the risk of
TB in the general population, increasing susceptibility to primary infection and reactivation, and also leads to
poor TB outcomes including decreased treatment adherence, treatment failure, default and death. Among
PWH, unhealthy alcohol use is associated with decreased use of and adherence to antiretroviral therapy
(ART), lower viral suppression and increased mortality. Our work in India demonstrates not only high
prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use among patients with TB, but also that it is one of the major reasons for
treatment default, failure, and mortality. With the high prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use and its association
with adverse TB and HIV treatment outcomes in low and middle income countries (LMIC), it is imperative to
test scalable, culturally relevant, evidence-based alcohol interventions and measure implementation factors to
facilitate more rapid integration of effective interventions into TB and HIV/TB care. To this end, we propose
HATHI (Hybrid trial for Alcohol reduction among people with TB and HIV in India). This 2-arm hybrid type 1
effectiveness-implementation RCT will examine the effectiveness of CAP (Counseling on Alcohol Problems), a
four-session combined Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Motivational Enhancement Therapy alcohol reduction
intervention integrated into HIV/TB and TB care, compared with usual care (provider advice, referral to
treatment as needed). Patients (n=450) with TB (n=225) and HIV/TB co-infection (n=225) and unhealthy
alcohol use will be recruited from TB and HIV clinics at 2 large, well-established research and care centers in
Pune, Maharashtra India. Effectiveness outcomes measured at 3, 6 and 12 months include 1) self-reported
alcohol use and phosphatidyl ethanol (PEth), an alcohol biomarker, and 2) TB and HIV clinical outcomes
including TB and HIV medication adherence, HIV viral suppression, TB sputum/culture conversion and the
composite outcome of TB treatment failure, default or death. Using the RE-AIM implementation framework, we
will use mixed methods to assess barriers and facilitators to alcohol treatment integration in TB and HIV/TB
clinical settings and the incremental costs of this intervention strategy. This hybrid effectiveness-
implementation study addresses the huge burden of unhealthy alcohol use among persons with TB and
TB/HIV in India, the country with the highest burden of TB, 3rd highest burden of HIV, and where unhealthy
alcohol use is a significant contributor to unfavorable treatment outcomes. Our multidisciplinary team of
epidemiologists, clinicians, health economists and behavioral scientists has a successful track record for
conducting clinical trials and alcohol interventions in the US and India. Our research will provide much-needed
evidence to inform l...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9847447
- **Project number:** 1R01AA027974-01
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** GEETANJALI CHANDER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $665,919
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-05 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9847447

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9847447, Hybrid trial for Alcohol reduction among people with TB and HIV in India (HATHI) (1R01AA027974-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9847447. Licensed CC0.

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