HIV patients easy prey to tuberculosis

KANPUR: Due to lack of co-ordination among various government hospitals in both urban and rural areas, the objective of the district health authorities to detect and identify new tuberculosis patient and to put them on treatment under Revise National Tuberculosis Programme (RNTCP) was unable to reach the target of 70 percent detection of TB, in the year 2009.

On the basis of the quarterly report provided by the District Tuberculosis hospital, only 63 percent new cases of TB came into light during the month of September-November, comparatively less than the previous months which varied from 68-69 percent. The situation can be gauged from the fact that there are only 39 microscopic centres in the district against the requirement of 48 centres, where the sputum or the smear of the infected person is collected and tested. It is to be mentioned that one microscopic centre must be present per one lakh populace. In contrast, there is only one centre per five lakh people.

While the doctors at the TB hospital claim that hospitals under Nagar Nigam, Railway and other private organisations are not cooperating to eradicate the disease entirely from the district. The nodal officer District Tuberculosis programme said: "The main aim of the programme is to detect those suffering early pulmonary tuberculosis. An untreated positive patient has the potential to affect 10-15 persons per year." Therefore, under RNTCP it is important to bring out more patients into notice so that they can be cured so the disease is not further spread, he added.

The representative of World Health Organisation who is also associated with RNTCP in the district Dr Lalit Mahendroo pointed out that TB is one of the leading causes of mortality in India. He said: "Nearly 433 patients in the district are reported as positive every month, out of which 219 are put on Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS)."

On the basis of the RNTCP report, only 79 percent were cured in the last three months against the set target of 85 percent for the confirmed cases in the laboratory. Generally, the medication process remains for six to eight months which, however, people continue only for two to three months, thereby affecting the percentage cure rate.

However, Tuberculosis is prevalent in HIV patients as well. Claiming HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) as the strongest risk factor for tuberculosis, head of Murari Lal Chest Hospital, associated hospital of Ganesh Shankar Vidhyarthi Memorial Dr Sudhir Chaudhary said, "Tuberculosis is one of the early opportunistic disease to develop amongst the persons infected with HIV. HIV affects the immune system and increases the vulnerability to TB, further increasing the risk of progression from TB infection to TB disease."

He then added, "An HIV positive person is six times (50-60% life time risk) more likely to develop TB disease once infected with TB bacilli as compared to an HIV negative person, who has a 10% life-time risk."

World AIDS Day!

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection; it's a time to reflect on the daunting challenges we face in the battle against this tenacious killer. For each World AIDS Day from 2005 through 2010, the theme will be "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise."

AIDS watch

Today is World’s AIDS day and according to a 2009 report released by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the World Health Organization (WHO), HIV infections have been reduced by 17% over the past eight years globally. And it’s largely due to HIV prevention programmes and campaigns, AIDS awareness movies and documentaries which are helping make a difference.

We couldn’t agree more. Movies and media is one of the biggest and powerful mediums through which one can spread awareness. Whether it’s Richard Gere spending his money and lending his support for AIDS awareness campaigns or its Vishal Bhardwaj’s short documentary Blood Brothers which dismantles myths and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS, people SIT UP and TAKE NOTICE.

Priyadarshan too has announced to make a movie on AIDS starring Aamir Khan. Taking this into account we list movies with the AIDS-related theme:

1. My Brother Nikhil
2. Phir Milenge
3. Philadelphia
4. Yesterday
5. Longtime Companion

Source: http://www.idiva.com/bin/idiva/AIDS-watch