Stop TB Department, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Future Microbiol. 2010 Nov;5(11):1641-3. doi: 10.2217/fmb.10.139.
The joint epidemic of HIV and TB in southern Africa is having a profound impact on the livelihood of the general population. This study of young people dying in a general hospital, serving a big conurbation in South Africa, points to a number of problems linked to disease control in the community. These include late presentation, low uptake of efforts to treat HIV and TB, a high frequency of people with infectious TB in the community and anti-TB drug resistance. The arguments are convincingly made for an improvement in case detection and earlier institution of adequate treatment. The investigative methodology used by the authors could be more widely applied to advocate for lifesaving measures in other settings sharing similar epidemiological challenges.
南部非洲艾滋病毒和结核病的联合流行对普通民众的生计产生了深远影响。这项在南非一个大城市服务的综合医院中死亡的年轻人的研究指出了一些与社区疾病控制相关的问题。这些问题包括就诊晚、艾滋病毒和结核病治疗效果低、社区中具有传染性结核病的人高频以及抗结核药物耐药性。作者有力地论证了提高病例检出率和尽早实施充分治疗的必要性。作者使用的研究方法可以更广泛地应用于倡导在其他面临类似流行病学挑战的环境中采取救生措施。
