The Contrasting Cultures of HIV and Tuberculosis Care

Approximately 13% of the newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) cases, or 1.1 million people worldwide, are co-infected with the HIV. In 2011 alone, HIV-associated TB contributed to over 430 000 deaths, the majority of which were in sub-Saharan Africa ^[1]. The WHO has recommended enhanced HIV and TB program collaboration and service integration to facilitate the concerted prevention, treatment and support of these commonly occurring co-infections, and mitigate their dual impact. The principle of ‘two diseases, one patient’, however, remains unrealized within many high-burden countries as a result of significant challenges associated with co-diagnosis, co-treatment and TB infection control, as well as financial and human resource constraints ^[2–4]. We call attention to the distinct paradigms underlying HIV and TB service delivery, or the distinct ‘cultures’ of HIV and TB care, as an additional consideration to integration efforts.

Below:  ‘Cultural’ differences in framing collaborative efforts

Full article at:  http://goo.gl/HDkyie

By:  Daftary, Amrita^a,b; Calzavara, Liviana^c; Padayatchi, Nesri^b

^aICAP, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, USA

^bCentre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

^cCIHR Social Research Centre in HIV Prevention, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Correspondence to Amrita Daftary, PhD, ICAP, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10032, USA. E-mail:ad2254@columbia.edu

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