HIV prevalence and associated risk factors among tuberculosis patients

HIV and tuberculosis are commonly called the “deadly duo” because HIV weakens the body’s defense system making people more prone to developing TB. People with HIV are up to 50 times more likely to develop TB in a given year than HIV-negative people. TB bacteria also accelerate the progression of HIV to AIDS and as a result TB is the leading cause of death for people with HIV. Globally an estimated 13 percent of TB cases are co-infected with HIV. Without proper treatment 90 percent of people living with HIV die within months of contracting TB. The current challenge is to find ways of preventing both TB and HIV and to improve diagnosis and management of co-infection.