TB-HIV CO-INFECTION IN INDIA

Abstract

According to the National AIDS control organization about 3.82-4.58 million Indians were estimated to be infected by HIV at the end of the year 2002. The HIV prevalence in the population between 15-49 years of age in India is relatively low at 0.75%. However due to its large population India ranks second after South Africa in terms of the absolute number of people living with HIV/AIDS. India has the largest number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the world. India shoulders about 14 million cases of TB and it is estimated that about 1.8 million incident cases of TB occur in India every year of which 0.82 million are highly infectious smear positive cases. TB was declared a global emergency in the year 1993 and recently the Director General of WHO has declared AIDS also as a global emergency. There exists a synergistic relationship between TB and HIV. The interface between TB and HIV is increased in countries like India where both TB and HIV infection are maximally prevalent in people of 15-49 years of age. Also the socio-economic factors of poverty ignorance and stigma are common to both the diseases. Thus the TB and HIV/AIDS control progammes share mutual concerns. This article deals with various issues related to TB-HIV co-infection in India. (excerpt)