AIDS to Blame for Rise in Tuberculosis in Ivory Coast: Officials

Ivory Coast health officials on Friday announced measures to stop the rise in tuberculosis, which is hitting people with HIV/AIDS particularly hard. TB diagnoses increased from 16,031 in 2002 to 21,204 TB cases last year, official figures indicate. The TB rate per 100,000 population is now 393 cases, compared to sub-Saharan Africa's rate of 290 cases per 100,000 population, said Jacquemin Kouakou, director of the National Program for Fighting Tuberculosis. "Tuberculosis is the first infection to capitalize on AIDS," Kouakou said. "One tuberculosis sufferer in two is co-infected with [HIV]," he said. In response, Ivory Coast will expand screening centers from 86 to 110 over three years, said health officials. To achieve earlier diagnoses, Kouakou said the country will increase microscope access from one per 250,000 population to one for every 100,000, in line with World Health Organization standards.

Back to other news for March 26, 2007