27th November, 2008
In Uganda and many parts of Africa, tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death among people who are HIV-positive — as many as 60% of people infected with HIV are also infected with TB.
There is also compelling evidence to suggest that HIV-positive people who become infected with malaria are more likely to suffer health complications, including significantly compromised immune systems and even death. Women who are infected with HIV and malaria during pregnancy are at greater risk of transmitting HIV to their babies.
In 2007, AMREF and partners AstraZeneca and the Ugandan Ministry of Health launched an integrated HIV/TB/malaria prevention and treatment program in the Luwero and Kiboga districts of central Uganda. The thinking behind the program was that these three diseases can be treated and prevented more effectively when addressed holistically rather than in isolation.
Listen to Joshua Kyallo, AMREF Uganda’s country director, as he talks about the effect of TB and malaria on people who are HIV-positive and the impact of this innovative project.