01/12/06 - TB is a major problem for people living with HIV and still some in
the HIV community are failing to recocognise the problem.
World AIDS Day 2007 will see activities to raise awareness about HIV all over the world. What many people don't realise is that as the numbers of people infected with HIV increases, so does the number of people with TB. Some have called having the two diseases together as the "Devil's Alliance" as without proper treatment the prognosis is poor, leading in most cases to an unecessary death.
Paul Thorn, Project Coordinator of TBSP who is in Moscow for World AIDS Day raising awareness of the connection between the two diseases said; "There has been a collision between the two infections. Over the past 25 years as HIV has increased and people's immune systems are destroyed, TB ever the opportunist has come in through the back door when people are at their weekest. I am one of the lucky ones. I have access to medication for HIV and I live in a country where I was able to access treatment for MDR-TB. I am alive today purely because of geography. Had I lived anywhere else I would not be here today."
He expressed his anger at the fact that many in the HIV community in the developed world still don't recognise that TB is their problem too. "It amazes me that some in the HIV community are still not dealing with the fact that TB kills more people with HIV than any other opportunistic infection. Especially in the Western world I have found people from HIV NGOs unresponsive when asked what they are doing about TB.
Perhaps this is because TB affects more people in the most resource-poor countries of the world rather than the developed ones. I say to them that diseases know no borders and we have a responsibility to advocate for those that cannot for themselves. We need to make sure that there is access for all to HIV and TB treatment and do whatever it takes to achieve this. If there is not a global reponse to the problem by civil society then the battle is alread lost. I urge all of those who are HIV activists, affected communities and those who work for HIV NGOs to engage with the TB community wherever they are in the world and tackle the problem together."
You can help in fight against TB by signing "The Call to Stop TB" which is on the home page of this website.
