Q. How serious is the interaction between HIV and TB in South-East Asia ?
Ans. Tuberculosis kills nearly 3 million people globally, of whom, nearly 50% are Asians. The rapid spread of HIV in the region has further complicated the already serious situation. Not only is TB the commonest life-threatening opportunistic infection among patients living with AIDS, but the incidence of TB has now begin to increase, particularly in areas where HIV seroprevalence is high. Multi-drug resistant TB is also quite common in many areas.