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Concern over impact of TB on HIV-positive people

    JOHANNESBURG

    South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has expressed concern over treatment adherence and the impact of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) on people living with HIV/AIDS.

    The minister noted that the cost to government for treating MDR-TB was just over US $3,000 a year per person, but if infected patients completed the six to nine months' treatment it would only cost between $75 and $90 per patient annually.

    BuaNews, the government news agency, quoted Tshabalala-Msimang as saying, "Now if you look at antiretrovirals, it is for the rest of your life. If it is difficult for patients to adhere to [TB] treatment for six to nine months, and we are expecting patients to stick to antiretrovirals for the rest of their lives ... I think it is really something we must be concerned about as South Africans."

    She urged communities to support people infected with HIV/AIDS and TB, as treatment interruptions increased the patient's chances of developing resistance.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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