Preventing, Detecting and Treating Critical Co-Infections
What Works
Tuberculosis
- IPT, as well as HAART, can reduce the incidence of TB.
Malaria
- Co-trimoxazole prophylaxis, antiretroviral therapy and ITNs can reduce the incidence of malaria in women living with HIV by 95%.
- Monthly doses of Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) of malaria with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is effective in preventing malaria among pregnant HIV-positive women (but should not be combined with co-trimoxazole).
Certain infections, when combined with HIV, can be significantly more severe and lead to early death for HIV-positive people. Tuberculosis has become the leading cause of death for those living with HIV. Malaria can have serious impacts on pregnant women and hepatitis/HIV co-infection can limit the effectiveness of both HIV and hepatitis treatments. These three diseases, when present as co-infections with HIV, warrant further discussion regarding their prevention, detection and treatment.[1]
[1] As noted in Chapter 2. Methodology, this chapter, particularly the section on malaria, was not as thoroughly reviewed as other topics in the compendium. Consultation with co-infection experts should complement the information in this chapter. Some references to groups working on co-infections are provided in this chapter.