Re: Impact of HIV/AIDS related stigma on TB control

[Guest guest]

Dear Colleagues:

HIV/AIDS as a pandemic has time and again been tested when it comes to

integration of HIV/AIDS services with other public health issues and

TB/STI in particular. Looking at the things in a perspective the term

HIV/AIDS related stigma has many associations and implications rooted in

history, social science, and public health. The historical concept of

HIV/AIDS stigma and the public health framework of deviance have

research needs for guiding desirable public health interventions to

reduce stigma.

DOTS program had been highly successful all over the world. For sure,

there must be incidents related to stigma around TB services when

integrated with HIV services but then they need to be tackled with a

more holistic approach.

There are innumerous examples from India, China and Africa where a

fragmented approach in tackling HIV/AIDS and TB has only complicated the

things. A very good piece of work from FHI in this regards is:

http://www.fhi.org/en/HIVAIDS/pub/Archive/articles/IOH/ioh22/ioh-tubercu

losis.htm

One of the strongest statements in this regards are of Dr. Piot,

when he said in year 2000 that:

" Firstly, anything that stops the HIV epidemic will also stop TB

Second, to stop TB we need to go beyond DOTS and

Third, the HIV and TB establishments, if I can use that term, are not in

competition. "

The whole text of his speech is available on:

http://www.stoptb.org/conference/Piot.speech.htm

One of the articles on TB-HIV at Coregroup.org is also good to read:

http://www.coregroup.org/resources/hiv-tb_co-infection.cfm

TB News from India is also a very good source for this discussion:

http://www.healthinitiative.org/html/tbnews/

Best,

Jagdish Harsh

E-mail: <jharsh@...>