Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS

HIV infection is by far the greatest risk factor for developing active tuberculosis (TB).  In some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the region that is home to about two-thirds of all people living with HIV/AIDS, TB caseloads have increased by as much as 300 percent during the past decade, and the prevalence of HIV infection in people with new TB cases exceeds 50 percent.

TB is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.

 

TB is an important disease to target in areas severely affected by HIV because TB is curable.  Although it is fueled by the HIV epidemic, TB is an infectious disease that does not remain confined to HIV-positive individuals.  And as one of the first opportunistic infections to appear in HIV-infected people, TB may be the earliest sign of HIV infection.  For this reason, addressing TB offers the opportunity for early HIV intervention.

When targeting TB in countries with a high HIV prevalence, care should be taken to ensure coordination of TB and HIV services.  This can be accomplished by: