The World AIDS Day and Tuberculosis
On the occasion of World AIDS Day 2007, Dr Marcos Espinal, Executive
Secretary of the Stop TB Partnership, is calling on all countries,
working with their partners, to do more to address the massive global
epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) among people living with HIV.
"Too many people are dying needlessly as a result of TB, which is still a leading cause of death among people living with HIV. Every day that goes by without action adds to the unacceptable death toll in people and communities affected by TB and HIV," he said.
Throughout the world, 12% of all TB deaths occur in people living with HIV. TB kills up to half of all AIDS patients in some settings. Yet TB is a curable and preventable disease.
The majority of cases of tuberculosis in people living with HIV occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where up to 80% of TB patients may be co-infected with HIV. "The burden on Africa is of such high magnitude that there
are grave concerns about this region reaching the Millennium Development Goal related to TB. Some African countries are stepping up their efforts on TB/HIV, however, which is very encouraging," Dr Espinal said.
Nevertheless greater investment by both endemic countries and donors is crucial, he stressed. "Investing in TB control is also an investment in HIV care; you cannot effectively deal with one without addressing the other," he said. "More investment in research to develop new diagnostics, medicines and vaccines also is critical."
Photo: Dr. Marcos Espinal; Copyright: The Regents of the University of California
