Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
BBC News - November 2, 2007
Local health systems are unable to contain the co-epidemic, the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research says.
The situation is made more urgent by increasing rates of drug-resistant TB in areas with a high prevalence of HIV.
Half of all new TB cases in sub-Saharan Africa are now HIV co-infected, forum director Veronica Miller said.
Contagious
TB, which is a disease of the respiratory system, is not uncommon - about 20% of the world's population has it but most will not develop the disease.
However in Africa's slums, where people live crammed together in tin shacks, TB is rife, the report notes.
Because HIV has destroyed the immune systems of at least a quarter of the population in some areas, far more people are not only developing TB but spreading it to otherwise healthy neighbours.
The BBC's Peter Greste in Cape Town says areas around the South African city are among the worst affected.
In one community in the western Cape, a child is 100 times more likely to contract TB than anyone living in the developed world.
But one Cape Town-based researcher, Dr Stephen Lawn, says existing tests often cannot spot TB before it is too late and health care systems cannot cope.
Without proper treatment, the Forum for Collaborative HIV Research says, 90% of people with HIV die within months of contracting TB.
071102
BB071101
Copyright © 2007 - BBC. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the BBC.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2007. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2007. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.
.