Tuberculosis Cases on the Rise in Zambia: Officials

The number of TB cases in Zambia has increased since 1998, and more than three-quarters of adult TB patients are also HIV-positive, said a statement issued last week by the National AIDS Council. "There has been a noticeably sharp rise in the number of cases and case notification rates since 1998," it said. The council is a government body formed primarily to help fight HIV/AIDS and look for a cure.

"Factors such as high population growth, poor housing, poverty and the spread of HIV have contributed to the increase in TB cases in the general population," the statement said. Statistical data from the University Teaching Hospital, the biggest hospital in Zambia, indicated that at least 68 percent of adult patients with TB are HIV-positive.

The TB case rate in 2000 was estimated at 512 people per 100,000, despite treatment being available. "This terrifying figure represents a four-fold increase from the 1985 figure of 124 per 100,000 people," the statement said. The National AIDS Council organized a national conference May 27-30 to discuss ways to deal with the increase in TB cases.

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