Deadly, Prevalent Tuberculosis

People with HIV are 20 times to 40 times more likely to develop tuberculosis than HIV-negative individuals, and HIV-positive people are disproportionately likely to die from TB, according to a report from the World Health Organization. The report noted that in 2007 about 1.4 million -- 15% -- of the world's 9.3 million new TB cases occurred in HIV-positive people. However, people with HIV accounted for 25% of all TB deaths, twice as many as estimated previously. Worldwide, TB is the leading cause of death in people with HIV. According to the report, 55% of all new TB cases were in Asia, and 31% were in Africa. Global prevalence of TB -- new plus existing cases -- stood at 13.7 million in 2007. WHO officials noted that TB screening and treatment have improved in the past several years, yet these efforts remain inadequate in poor countries. 'We have to stop people living with HIV from dying of TB,' said Michel Sidibe, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. 'Universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care, and support must include TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. When HIV and TB services are combined, they save lives.'