TB biggest killer of HIV+

[Guest guest]

TB biggest killer of HIV+

Kounteya Sinha, [10 Aug, 2006 0020hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]

NEW DELHI: Tuberculosis has become the single largest killer of AIDS

patients in India. Figures compiled by India's National AIDS Control

Organisation has revealed a catastrophic trend — over 60% of AIDS

patients contract and ultimately die of TB.

What's worse, AIDS is fuelling a resurgence of TB in the country.

Faced with this double plague, India has now decided to scale up and

integrate the National AIDS and TB control programmes from 2006.

Under phase three of the National AIDS Control Programme during the

next five years, in which India plans to spend $2.5 billion, $500

million is being kept aside solely for treatment and care.

By 2012, India plans to set up 2500 Integrated Counselling and

Testing Centres in universities, hospitals and medical centers

across the country. At present, there are 2815 ICTC that check AIDS

patients for TB.

According to Dr Kurien from Christian Medical College,

Vellore, who has designed the NACP III programme, the additional

ICTCs will test 21 million people, of whom 30 lakh are expected to

have symptoms of TB.

These people will then be referred to India's Revised National TB

Control Programme. Also, the present Voluntary Counselling and

Testing Centres, that check patients for AIDS, will be integrated

into ICTCs.

NACP phase II was completed in March and the next phase would be

implemented during the 11th five-year plan. The implementation is

likely to start from November in 2006.

" Of the 5.2 million HIV infected Indians, over 10% are expected to

have full blown AIDS. Every AIDS patient has 15% chance every year

of developing TB, which shows that every AIDS patient will develop

TB some time in their life.

Under NACP III, we will confront both TB and AIDS together. When

people become infected with TB and AIDS, it is almost always an

irreversible formula, " said.

The issue of TB and HIV complimenting each other has become so

serious that for the first time, experts have been brought together

at the World AIDS Conference in Toronto, starting on Sunday to

conduct separate sessions on the menace and specially discuss TB.

TB specialist Dr Bobby , who will attend some of the TB-AIDS

sessions, told TOI that TB kills over 1,000 people every day in

India. And its interaction with AIDS patients is making it more

lethal.

India reports 1.8 million new cases of TB, which is 1/5th of the

global TB burden. Nearly 370,000 people die of TB in India annually.

" Studies have shown that the co-infection rate in India is as high

as 60%. That's why we are beginning a TB-HIV module under our TB

Control Programme. The need for early identification and treatment

of TB is desperately urgent.

TB and HIV/AIDS is particularly deadly in Indian states due to

widespread stigma, low levels of awareness, poorly coordinated

services and a lack of mobilisation at the local and national

levels. "

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