AEGiS-13IAC: Tuberculosis and HIV in Chad.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Tuberculosis and HIV in Chad.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:(abstract no. WePeC4406)

Tosi C, Richard V, Montanan D
C. Tosi, Ministry of Public Health, PO Box 898, Ndjamena, Chad, Tel.: +235 51 62 50, Fax: +235 51 70 79, E-mail: projet.sante@intnet.td

Tuberculosis is an early opportunistic disease in the course of HIV infection. In Chad, a developing country, tuberculosis rapidly became the major complication of HIV infection when the latter began to spread.

OBJECTIVES: to review the epidemiologic characteristics, the public health implication of HIV associated tuberculosis and HIV seroprevalence of tuberculosis patients in Chad. Design: all patients with sputum smear-positive disease who never had tuberculosis treatment were included in a transversal study of six months (january-june 99) in 2 tuberculosis centers (Moundou, Ndjamena).

METHOD: a total of 467 patients (sex ratio M/F: 2) were recruted during the period. these subjects were asked to fill out a anonymous standardized questionnaire with detailed information on demographic characteristics, sexual behavior and other risk factors of HIV infection. We compared baseline characteristics using CHI-square, Student's T test and multivariate analysis (logistic regression).

RESULTS: 33,4% of the total group were seropositive for HIV-1. Mean age was 31 years in HIV patients and 33.2 years in controls (p = 0.7). The highest overall age-specific hiv prevalence was in patients aged 20-39 years (p > 0.01). Women (39.8%) were more seropositive than men (29.2%) (p = 0.03). HIV tuberculosis patients had more sexual partners (mean: 1.7; p > 0.01), more STD (19.8%; p > 0.01). the mean age for sexual beginning was 16.4 years for HIV group and 17.1 years for control (p > 0.01). 40% of Moundou patients were HIV positive and 30% of Ndjamena patients (p > 0.01). Age for sexual beginning (RR = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.78-0.99), number of sexual partners (RR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.14-1.78) and educational status (RR = 1.61; 95%CI: 1.30-1.99) were factors strongly associated with HIV in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION: HIV prevalence in tuberculosis patients is a barometer of HIV infection in developing country. This prevalence was High in chad. Surveillance for tuberculosis and AIDS in Chad must be strengthened. Tuberculosis and AIDS control programs would have to collaborate closely. Efforts should be concentrated on early identification of patients with infections tuberculosis, early initiation of effective treatment and effective screening of patients with tuberculosis for HIV.

Keywords: AEGIS, Tuberculosis, HIV Infections, HIV Seropositivity, HIV Seroprevalence, Prevalence, Risk Factors, HIV-1, Sexual Partners, Sex Behavior, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Sputum, Chad, Human, Female, Male
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