HIV surveillance among tuberculosis patients : report of an informal consultation, New Delhi, 17-18 November 2005

The rapid growth of the HIV epidemic in many countries has resulted in an equally dramatic rise in TB, even in countries with well-organized national TB control programmes, that are successfully implementing the DOTS strategy. The importance of surveillance of HIV among TB patients is increasingly being recognized. In many countries HIV prevalence in TB patients is a sensitive indicator of the spread of HIV into the general population. Information on HIV level in TB patients is essential to respond to the increasing commitment to provide comprehensive HIV/AIDS care and support, including ART, to HIVpositive TB patients.