HIV/AIDS health workers need to accelerate efforts to prevent HIV patients from contracting tuberculosis and treat those who do, top public health officials said.
Speaking at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, leaders of the World Health Organization and International AIDS Society said a quarter of a million people with HIV die from tuberculosis every year, even though many of those deaths are preventable.
People with HIV are more vulnerable to tuberculosis than those without HIV, even if under treatment using antiretroviral therapy. More than one-third of all people infected with HIV also are infected with tuberculosis bacillus, Dr. Helene Gayle, the International AIDS Society president, said in a written statement. HIV infections number about 38.6 million worldwide.
“TB prevention, diagnostic, and treatment services must become core functions of all HIV services,” Dr. Kevin De Cock, WHO's HIV director, said in the statement. “TB can be treated and cured, so most of these deaths are absolutely preventable. HIV policy makers, health ministers, and health workers all have a vital role in making sure that deaths from TB are reduced.”
The officials touted a study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that is seeking to reduce the prevalence of tuberculosis in 15,000 patients who are seeking treatment at 29 HIV clinics. Although antiretroviral treatment can reduce the risk of contracting tuberculosis, the study aims to find out whether a comprehensive policy of screening and treatment latent tuberculosis can reduce tuberculosis incidence by an expected 60%, which would prevent 1,670 cases of tuberculosis per 100,000.