Malay includes TB in HIV/AIDS info drive

Tuberculosis (TB) awareness will be included in the HIV/AIDS information campaign during the World AIDS Day observance on Dec. 1.

This year’s theme is “Creating Alliance and Strengthening the Fight to Stop TB, HIV and AIDS,” said Arbie Aspiras, health and educational promotion officer of the Municipal Health Office of Malay, Aklan.

“There is now around 34, 999 cases of HIV/AIDS all over the [Philippines],” said Aspiras. “Cases of TB are growing, too.”

Municipal health officials also urged locals and tourists to avail themselves of free HIV/AIDS testing and other medical screenings at their offices here and in mainland Malay.

TB is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV worldwide, according to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, TB usually affects the lungs but can also affect the brain, kidneys, spine, or other organ systems, the CDC said. It can cause serious health problems, including death, if left untreated, it added.

TB is a serious threat, especially for people living with HIV/AIDS, because both infections can work together to make a person very sick, an article on the American advocacy website AIDS.gov stated.

Due to the health risks for TB and HIV coinfection, the CDC recommends that all HIV-positive people should be tested for TB, while those who test positive for TB should begin treatment immediately, the article stated.

The risk of developing TB is estimated to be between 26 and 31 times greater in people living with HIV than among those without HIV infection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In 2014 there were 9.6 million new cases of TB, of which 1.2 million were among people living with HIV, the WHO said.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) causes AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).