China Details Plan to Fight Co-Infection of HIV and TB

The Ministry of Health has released a brochure warning health authorities that TB has become a leading cause of death among Chinese HIV patients.

The ministry has ordered increased cooperation and information sharing between health personnel involved in fighting HIV/AIDS and those working against TB. It further ordered free treatment and follow-up visits for co-infected patients. Under the new guidance, HIV/AIDS patients must be checked for TB at least once a year; TB workers, meanwhile, are required to persuade their patients to be tested for HIV. Diagnosis information must be confidentially recorded and reported to government agencies.

The World Health Organization estimates that China sees 1.3 million new TB cases each year. The nation's 700,000 HIV patients include 75,000 diagnosed with AIDS.

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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