TB and HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is the major opportunistic infection of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) 
in developing countries. The objective of this paper is to exemplify and review the findings associated 
with TB in patients with AIDS. 80 TB/AIDS-focused articles from latest internet and literature, including 
3 leading Bangladesh daily newspapers between 1999-2009 were analyzed. According to the data 
provided by a Bangladesh Sheikh Mujib University, the number of detected people living with HIV/AIDS 
reached 204 as of December 2002. Most of them died of TB indicating the relationship between AIDS 
and TB. Measures needed in the future, if TB and HIV/AIDS are to be eliminated in Bangladesh. 
Tuberculosis (TB) is at least as old as human kind, one of the world's deadliest diseases and the history 
of the disorder is intertwined inevitably with the history of civilization. Break down in health services, 
the spread of HIV/AIDS and the emergence of multi drug resistant TB causing organisms are 
contributing to the worsening impact of this disease. Physicians say TB is one of the major syndromes 
of HIV infection. About 74,000 Bangladeshi people go abroad for jobs every year, which might be the 
sources of spreading HIV/AIDS, when they come back to the country. It has been known for some time 
that TB and AIDS are bedfellows. But as the government and civil society still seem impervious to this 
state of affairs, when the pandemic hits our shores. The AIDS program in Bangladesh and possibly 
others elsewhere, could consider adapting this experience, to support NGOs serving communities at 
highest risk towards greater funding for and co-ordination of the national NGO response. Given the link 
between TB and AIDS, such TB program could also work more closely with AIDS program to absorb 
some of the HIV surveillance responsibilities of the AIDS program, integrate clinical training and build 
in cross-referral systems. TB and AIDS target the marginalized; we should all be able to visualize the 
scale of the problem we would face. If TB and HIV/AIDS are not taken seriously soon, it will ravage our 
society.