Twin Epidemics: The Struggle Against TB and HIV

According to estimates from the World Health Organization, there are nearly nine million cases of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide every year, resulting in 1.6 million deaths. Although TB is curable, it is the leading cause of death among people with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Failure to properly address TB has led to drug-resistant strains of the disease, which are more complicated and costly to diagnose and treat. The Open Society Institute’s Public Health Program is engaging in groundbreaking grantmaking and advocacy efforts to link TB and HIV/AIDS services, including a $3 million grant to help health care workers in Lesotho treat people dually infected with drug-resistant TB and HIV/AIDS.

Public Health Watch, an initiative of OSI’s Public Health Program, works with community groups, public health experts, and human rights advocates to promote policies for treating TB/HIV that respect human rights and are based on scientific evidence.

Highlights from the Public Health Watch campaign include:

• Gasping for Air: A video presenting the dire TB/HIV epidemic in the small southern African nation of Lesotho, and explaining how significant progress can be made even in low-resourced settings.
• Promoting Public Health and Human Rights in Multidrug-Resistant TB Care: A panel discussion convened by OSI and the World Health Organization, addressing the ethical and human rights challenges presented by the growing epidemic of multidrug-resistant TB.
• Amina’s Story: A series of photographs taken in Tanzania, commissioned by OSI to highlight community-based health care for those affected by TB and HIV.
• Struggling with Tuberculosis in Lesotho: A discussion of the model treatment program in Lesotho which addresses the problem of drug-resistant tuberculosis.