EUCO-NET · European network for global cooperation in the field of AIDS & TB

Background Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are on the rise worldwide, representing a global public health problem with considerable mutual interaction: TB is the leading cause of mortality for people living with HIV/AIDS, and HIV is the most potent force driving the TB epidemic in countries with a high prevalence of HIV . Especially in rural areas of Africa, Latin America, India and Russia both diseases form a deadly combination affecting large populations: In 2006, 39.5 million people suffered from HIV , and 2 billion people were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB . Approximately 11 million people are “co-infected” with both diseases. Up to now, there is a massive failure to respond to the dual epidemic in an integrated way , and despite an increasing awareness worldwide, greater commitment and increased funding, current prevention and treatment efforts as well as coordinated research initiatives need to be strengthened to address the challenge of TB-HIV coinfection . TB and HIV programmes worldwide still work largely in isolation from each other and are focussing on national levels, although the urgent need to combat HIV and TB is recognized internationally. Additionally, scientists still primarily work with colleagues from the same field of research instead of collaborating with partners in complementary fields. Objective The objective of the support action is to provide an overview of the state of the art in HIV and TB research and disease management in the different partner countries, to identify global research priorities and to boost international cooperation between leading HIV and TB experts from Europe and those countries mainly affected by the two diseases - Russia, Latin America, South Africa and India.