The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) had selected five cities in August last year including Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore to formulate a project plan and undertake precautionary measures towards prevention of TB infection among HIV positive patients and vice-versa.

There is a seven per cent incidence of HIV infection among the TB patients and at least a 20 per cent increase in the incidence of TB among the HIV infected population in the city, assistant medical officer of health, PMC, Dr D B Pardeshi told The Indian Express.

TB is a major killer among infectious diseases in adults. It kills more than 1000 people per day, one every minute in the country. There are 14 million estimated TB cases out of which 3.5 million are sputum positive. About one million new sputum positive cases are added every year.

In the PMC area alone, about 2,500 cases are diagnosed every year at Gadikhana, Bhawani Peth and Sassoon- DTC Tuberculosis Units. Under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) being implemented from 1995, there are 33 Direct Observation Treatment (DOT) centres and 10 sputum microscopy centres.

There were a total of 3330 TB patients who were administered treatment at the centres from January to December last year, Pardeshi said adding that such TB patients who do not respond after two months of treatment are given pre-counselling through the National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) and consent is taken to test their blood. Convincing such patients to test their blood is extremely difficult, Pardeshi admitted.

However, dealing with the grim fact about the increasing prevalence of HIV infection among TB patients and vice versa, the project plan envisages coordination between the AIDS Control programme and RNTCP for combating the impending dual epidemics of HIV/AIDS and TB. A steering committee of Additional Municipal Commissioner, State AIDS programme officer, State TB Control officer, Head of the Department of Microbiology at B J Medical College, representative from NACO and RNTCP, representatives of an NGO and NARI will be appointed to monitor the programme. The participation of private practitioners in the programme was also vital as patients first seek care from them and NGOs for diagnosis and management, Pardeshi said. The project proposal also envisages the establishment of comprehensive health care units taking into consideration that the HIV/TB patients may face difficulties while seeking health care services. As per the plan day care centres, drop in centres and hospice facilities have been proposed for thehealth care of HIV patients.