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Those suffering from Tuberculosis (TB) should urgently get themselves diagnosed for HIV also. For, it may be one of the earlier signs of HIV infections, warn the experts citing detection of HIV cases ranging from 5 to 15 per cent among the TB patients enrolled in the Government’s Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).
And these are those cases where TB patients have voluntarily offered for the HIV test. “The test is not mandatory at present. And due to social stigma, the TB patients refuse to undergo the HIV test without knowing that it can be fatal for them,” said a senior official from the Health Ministry.
Moreover, those getting TB treatment out of the (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course) DOTS-RNTCP remain challenge for the authorities as their HIV status remains unknown. “That is why we are insisting that the TB patients should get diagnosed for HIV as well and covered under the ART. Otherwise they can be potential threat for spreading the deadly virus.”
Presently, there are only 2.1 million TB patients under the DOTS programme even though sixty-five out of every one lakh people in India are suffering from the infectious disease. India has highest number of TB cases in the world.
The National Aids Control Organisations's (NACO) programme “intensified TB-HIV package” being implemented across the states have thrown worrisome results. “We have found that HIV infection among TB patients was is high in districts where the HIV prevalence is high in the general population. HIV sero-prevalence in TB patients is highest in the age group 25-44 years.
“In south India we are detecting huge HIV cases among TB patients mainly because we have good HIV testing facilities there. But in Northern states though TB cases are high, reported HIV cases are as low as five per cent. This can also be because we have poor HIV testing facilities and all TB patients are not being diagnosed for the deadly virus,” the official explained.
In other words, he said, that although proportion of TB patients with known HIV status in high and medium HIV prevalence states reached more than 80%, it is less than 50% in remaining states. “But universal HIV testing of TB patients is a challenge primarily due to limited availability of HIV testing facilities vis-a-vis number of RNTCP Designated Microscopy Centres (DMC). This gap is more pronounced in low and medium HIV prevalent states.”
In districts in north of Karnataka and Maharasthra such as Bijapur, Bagalkot and Sangali, Satara and Sholapur respectively, all HIV endemic areas, the cases of HIV in TB patients was found to be between whopping 40-50 per cent.
“Hence it is important to ascertain the HIV status of all TB patients to provide them optimal care,” the official added.
And these are those cases where TB patients have voluntarily offered for the HIV test. “The test is not mandatory at present. And due to social stigma, the TB patients refuse to undergo the HIV test without knowing that it can be fatal for them,” said a senior official from the Health Ministry.
Moreover, those getting TB treatment out of the (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course) DOTS-RNTCP remain challenge for the authorities as their HIV status remains unknown. “That is why we are insisting that the TB patients should get diagnosed for HIV as well and covered under the ART. Otherwise they can be potential threat for spreading the deadly virus.”
Presently, there are only 2.1 million TB patients under the DOTS programme even though sixty-five out of every one lakh people in India are suffering from the infectious disease. India has highest number of TB cases in the world.
The National Aids Control Organisations's (NACO) programme “intensified TB-HIV package” being implemented across the states have thrown worrisome results. “We have found that HIV infection among TB patients was is high in districts where the HIV prevalence is high in the general population. HIV sero-prevalence in TB patients is highest in the age group 25-44 years.
“In south India we are detecting huge HIV cases among TB patients mainly because we have good HIV testing facilities there. But in Northern states though TB cases are high, reported HIV cases are as low as five per cent. This can also be because we have poor HIV testing facilities and all TB patients are not being diagnosed for the deadly virus,” the official explained.
In other words, he said, that although proportion of TB patients with known HIV status in high and medium HIV prevalence states reached more than 80%, it is less than 50% in remaining states. “But universal HIV testing of TB patients is a challenge primarily due to limited availability of HIV testing facilities vis-a-vis number of RNTCP Designated Microscopy Centres (DMC). This gap is more pronounced in low and medium HIV prevalent states.”
In districts in north of Karnataka and Maharasthra such as Bijapur, Bagalkot and Sangali, Satara and Sholapur respectively, all HIV endemic areas, the cases of HIV in TB patients was found to be between whopping 40-50 per cent.
“Hence it is important to ascertain the HIV status of all TB patients to provide them optimal care,” the official added.
