Coinfecţia HIV/TB – problemă prioritară de sănătate publică

Abstract

Tuberculosis and HIV infection are the infectious diseases that create major problems in the countries with limited resources. The estimates of the WHO show that more than 9 million of new cases of active TB and nearly 2 million of deaths from tuberculosis [1], and about 3 million of new cases of HIV infection, and 1.8 million of deaths associated with AIDS [2, 3] are recorded annually. Mycobacterium of tuberculosis and HIV co-infection are the factors that create special problems of diagnosis and treatment and put enormous pressure on the health care system. In the past 10 years there has been a considerable increase of the coinfection of TB/HIV in Moldova [4]. The progression of untreated HIV infection can lead to immunodeficiency and increased susceptibility to infections, including tuberculosis. Namely, the HIV epidemic has led to tuberculosis in many countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and South America. TB in the populations with a high prevalence of HIV is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Therefore, the programs to fight TB and HIV/AIDS are closely linked. HIV prevention should be a priority for TB controlling, in turn, TB prevention and treatment should be a priority of HIV/AIDS programs. Moreover TB and HIV programs provide a support for health care workers in general. The previous programs concerning TB and HIV/AIDS mainly worked through separate directions and activities. However, a new approach to TB control in populations with high HIV prevalence requires an effective collaboration between these programs. In the host body the two pathogens, M. tuberculozis and HIV, reinforce each other (the fact that accelerates the deterioration of the immune function) and may induce a premature death if being untreated. 14 million of people worldwide are estimated to be infected with the both infections [5]. Tuberculosis is a general cause of death of people with AIDS [6], representing approximately 26% of AIDS-related deaths, of which 99% are in developing countries [7].