How To Control The Tuberculosis And HIV/AIDS Dual Epidemic

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TB patients can be offered an HIV test; indeed, research shows that TB patients are more likely to accept HIV testing than the general population. This means that TB programmes can make a major contribution to identifying eligible candidates for ARV treatment. Many people, including those living with HIV, do not know that TB is curable. This is a basic message and one thing that is failing to get through. We should know how to get the message to policy- makers and funders that more drugs are needed for both diseases. It is not "either/or', there is no point providing ARVs only for patients to die of TB for lack of TB resources. Similarly, TB efforts alone are insufficient. HIV/AIDS is dramatically fuelling the TB epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, where up to 70% of TB patients are co-infected with HIV in some countries. For many years efforts to tackle TB and HIV have been largely separate, despite the overlapping epidemiology. Improved collaboration between TB and HIV/AIDS programmes will lead to more effective control of TB among HIV- infected people and to significant public health gains.