TB and HIV/AIDS

• TB is the leading cause of death among people who are HIV-positive.

• TB and HIV/AIDS are deadly duo: each speeds up the progress of the other.

• One third of people who are HIV positive are co-infected with tuberculosis.

• 70% of people with tuberculosis are also HIV positive.

• One-third of the increase in the incidence of TB in the last five years can be attributed to HIV.

• HIV is currently the single most potent factor to cause sickness to break out in someone infected with TB.

• Someone who is HIV-positive and infected with TB is 30 times more likely to become sick with TB than someone who is HIV-negative.

• There are more than  45 million people living with HIV/AIDS

• In India, 2 million people are jointly infected with HIV and TB

• TB accounts for 40% of AIDS deaths in Africa and Asia

Serbia and Montenegro ranks among HIV low prevalence countries, but there is no systemic testing of TB patients for HIV status. In several hospital series HIV infection is not the major risk factor for developing TB in SCG.