Antiretroviral therapy is strongly associated with a reduction in the incidence of tuberculosis across all CD4 count strata. Earlier initiation of antiretroviral therapy may be a key component of global and national strategies to control the HIV-associated tuberculosis syndemic.

The study looks at 25 indicators in each country, ranging from coverage of ART and prevention of mother-to-child transmission, to whether nurses instead of doctors can start patients on HIV and TB treatment.

A modest increase in taxes on alcohol and tobacco in countries seriously affected by HIV and TB could generate enough income to cover the costs of antiretroviral treatment, TB treatment and malaria treatment and prevention, as well as reducing the incidence of non-communicable diseases caused by alcohol and tobacco, according to modelling work presented at the 19^th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington DC.

Three months of once-weekly observed rifapentine plus isoniazid (3HP) proved safer and more tolerable than 9 months of daily self-administered isoniazid (9H) in HIV-positive people from North America, South America, and Spain. HIV-positive people were less likely to stop 3HP than HIV-negative people enrolled in the same trial, TBTC Study 26/ACTG 5259.

Lancet paper finds novel drug regimen could be more effective than existing treatments; TB Alliance’s trial to test drugs in combination saves years in research time.

In January, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new guidelines on dosing of an HIV medication used to treat people infected with both HIV and tuberculosis (TB) because of a potential interaction between two of the main drugs used to treat each disease.

Treatment Action Group’s leader Mark Harrington did not mince words Saturday at a consultation meeting on HIV and tuberculosis (TB) co-infection preceding the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington.

We often cite the fact that tuberculosis (TB) fueled the spread of HIV in southern Africa, said Diane Havlir, MD, of the University of California at San Francisco and co-Chair of the 2012 International AIDS Conference (IAC). But AIDS also shaped the enormous spread of TB seen in southern Africa during the late 80s and ’90s as a sweeping increase in HIV/AIDS occurred simultaneously, she said.

TB REACH, an initiative of the Stop TB Partnership to promote early and increased TB case detection, today has launched its call for applications for Wave 3 funding. Partners of the Stop TB Partnership, national TB programmes, HIV programmes, local and international NGOs, civil society and community-based organizations can apply for this fast-track funding for early and increased TB case detection among poor, vulnerable and at-risk populations.

A new legislation is on the anvil to declare tuberculosis (TB) as a notifiable disease in Pakistan. When passed, the “Tuberculosis Notification Act, 2012” would make it mandatory on all registered medical and traditional practitioners, registered hakims, healthcare providers, pathological laboratories, educational institutions, industrial concerns, mines, jails, madrasas, refugee camps, councilors, tribal heads, maliks, lumbardars, appointed and hereditary community representatives to notify District EDO Health of a confirmed or suspected TB case in accordance with the set procedures.