TB

• TB is the second leading single cause of death in Africa after malaria according to the WHO.

• TB becomes the number one cause of death overall, if the deaths of HIV/AIDS patients due to TB are included.

• TB is the commonest opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS. 10 -15% of HIV/AIDS patients have TB as the initial presenting cause. The prevalence rate of co-infection with HIV is very high in Africa, over 50% in some countries.

• TB is the commonest cause of death in people with HIV/AIDS, in some countries up to 50% of all deaths are attributable to TB.

• There was a 20% increase in TB incidence in 1999 from 1997 in African countries most affected by HIV/AIDS.

Figure 1. Map showing the estimated TB incidence rates in 1999

Source: Adapted from WHO Report 2001

Figure 2. Map showing the estimated incidence rates of HIV-positive TB 1999

Source: Adapted from WHO Report 2001

In the news

World fighting growing TB threat
BBC March 24 2001

Drug-resistant strains of TB increasing worldwide
CNN March 24 2001

Bill Gates donates $10 million to WHO to diagnose TB
Reuters.com 23 Mar 2001

WHO World TB Day

TB Alert

Stop Tuberculosis

TB in South Africa

FAQS

Grants and Research

Eradication Programe

Home About Us Health News Health Topics Country Profiles Links

All contents copyright © 2000, 2001 MEDILINKS.ORG. All rights reserved.