Tuberculosis and HIV : a framework to address TB/HIV co-infection in the Western Pacific Region

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has a dramatic impact on tuberculosis (TB) control in countries with a high burden of TB/ HIV. At the same time, tuberculosis is not only the leading cause of death among people with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), but also the most common curable infectious disease among people living with HIV/AIDS (PHA). This has led to the realization that additional interventions are urgently needed to augment the WHO- recommended DOTS strategy for TB control. Tackling tuberculosis should include tackling HIV as the most potent force driving the tuberculosis epidemic; tackling HIV should include tackling tuberculosis as a leading killer of PHA. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) global response has been the development of the global framework for TB/HIV with the aim to reduce tuberculosis transmission, morbidity and mortality (while minimizing the risk of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance), as part of overall efforts to reduce HIV-related morbidity and mortality in high HIV prevalence settings. The global framework largely focuses on sub-Saharan Africa.