Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common infections in people living with HIV (PLWHA). TB often strikes people with weakened immune systems, making it a leading cause of death for those with HIV/AIDS. In 2018, about 21% of the 1.2 million global TB deaths were among PLWHA. In South Africa, around 300,000 new TB cases are reported each year, and 70% of those cases are in people with HIV.

The Link Between TB and HIV

Tuberculosis is one of the most common opportunistic infections in people with HIV, often leading to severe illness or death. In 2018, 21% of the 1.2 million global TB deaths occurred in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). In South Africa alone, about 70% of the 300,000 new TB cases each year are among people with HIV, highlighting the urgent need for integrated treatment strategies.

Other Ways to Lower Mortality Rates

Apart from early ART, other interventions play a key role in reducing mortality among PLWHA. Early detection of both HIV and TB, along with the use of Isoniazid Preventative Therapy (IPT), is crucial in preventing and managing TB. However, in many resource-limited settings, challenges such as delayed policy implementation and a shortage of trained healthcare workers hinder widespread access to these life-saving treatments.

Improving access to Health Services for TB and HIV

Universal health coverage ensures that everyone who needs TB and HIV treatment can get it. This means services are high-quality and thorough enough to lower illness and death rates. To ensure these services work well, we must keep checking and improving how they are delivered using key measures.

By defining a clear plan to fix problems in screening for TB and HIV, testing, starting treatment on time, and using preventive therapies, we can strengthen and enhance these services. The Scaling Up TB and HIV Treatment Integration (SUTHI) study looked at how improving TB and HIV care together in 40 rural clinics in South Africa affected patient outcomes and death rates.

Conclusion

The study in rural South Africa shows that combining HIV and TB care can significantly help patients and lower death rates. By bringing together HIV and TB treatments, healthcare can be more organised, making it easier for patients to get the care they need for both illnesses. To maintain these positive results, it’s important to keep improving the quality of care and regularly check how well it’s working. If these integrated care methods are used more widely, they could make a big difference in managing HIV and TB. This could reduce the impact of these diseases and improve health for many people.