Isoniazid preventive therapy in HIV infected children on antiretroviral therapy living in a high tuberculosis prevalence area a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV are dual epidemics and a public health crisis in Southern Africa. An estimated 2.5 million children are living with HIV, of which 2.3 million live in Sub-Saharan Africa, with an estimated 230 000 child deaths from AIDS. In 2010 there were an estimated 8 million incident cases of tuberculosis (TB) globally, 1.2 million amongst people living with HIV. Over 1 million TB related deaths occurred, a third of which occurred amongst people living with HIV.[4] The African region accounts for 26% of the global TB burden and 82% of the TB cases among people living with HIV. TB and HIV are a deleterious combination. TB is a common cause of acute and chronic respiratory disease and a leading cause of death amongst HIV infected children in TB endemic areas.