TB & HIV: A Deadly Duo

As we commemorate Dr. Robert Koch’s 1882 discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes TB, we are reminded of the many advances over the past 129 years in TB control. Through the intervention efforts of CDC, USAID, WHO’s Stop TB Partnership, and many others, TB death rates have fallen by 35% since 1990, and as many as 6 million lives have been saved since 1995.

In spite of these successes, TB still remains a serious threat, especially for those infected with HIV. HIV is the single most powerful risk factor for TB disease and one of the leading causes of death among people infected with HIV. Among the 1.7 million lives that TB claimed in 2009, 380,000 were among people with HIV infection. While people with HIV who have TB can be effectively diagnosed and treated, more effort is needed to diagnose and treat TB promptly and effectively, and to scale-up preventive treatment for TB.

World TB Day presents CDC and its partners with a prime opportunity to discuss TB/HIV-related problems and solutions while renewing our support for worldwide TB control efforts. This special session of Public Health Grand Rounds shed light on myths and misconceptions about TB and HIV, and discussed actions needed in preventing deaths from this lethal combination.

Presented By

Jay Varma, MD
Chief, International Emerging Infections Program – China
Division of Global Disease Detection and Response, Center for Global Health, CDC
Presentation: TB and HIV: Friends With(out) Benefits

Kevin Cain, MD
Chief, TB/HIV Team, International Research and Programs Branch,
Division of TB Elimination, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis,
STD, and TB Prevention, CDC
Presentation: You Have to Find TB to Treat TB

Taraz Samandari, MD, PhD
Chief, Epidemiology Branch,
Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis,
STD, and TB Elimination, CDC
Presentation: If Finding TB is so Difficult, Why Not Just Prevent It?

Mario Raviglione, MD
Director, STOP TB Department, World Health Organization (WHO)
Presentation: From Science to Policy to Impact

Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Presentation: Fundamentals are Fundamental

Facilitated By

Tanja Popovic, M.D., Ph.D., Scientific Director, Public Health Grand Rounds
Shane Joiner, Communication Manager, Public Health Grand Rounds

Additional Resources

• TB & HIV Fact Sheets: TB and HIV Coinfection
• Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA)
• Key Scientific Articles on TB/HIV