Globally, tuberculosis (TB) ranks
above HIV/AIDS as the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent,
and as one of the 10 most common causes of mortality. Annually, millions of
people are infected with the dreaded TB and HIV disease. HIV infection and
other factors such as malnutrition, smoking, diabetes and alcohol consumption
have been associated with the development of new TB disease. Total mortality
for TB in 2017 was estimated at 1.6 million, and about a fifth of these deaths
was due to TB/HIV co infection. Also, of the 10 million people newly infected
with TB in 2017, 9-10th were adults, out of which about a tenth were HIV
positive. About two-third of those that were HIV positive were located in
Africa and eight countries including Nigeria contributed to two-third of this
10 million new infections. TB-HIV co-infection has accounted for the gap in the
management and control of TB in the World Health Organization (WHO) African
region due to the high prevalence of this co-infection (WHO, 2018).
The TB and HIV duo are of grave
public health concern, and if urgent control strategies are not put in place,
this may hinder the attainment of SDGs in developing countries. About a quarter
of the world's population are estimated to have a latent TB infection. HIV
infection weakens the human defence mechanism and is one of the individual most
important risk factor capable of reactivating latent TB disease to active
disease. Furthermore, HIV positive individuals who get exposed to TB bacilli
are reported to be 37 times more at risk of developing active TB disease than
HIV-negative individuals (WHO, 2011).
According to 2018 global TB report,
Nigeria is one of the 30 Tb high burden countries contributing to about 90% of
world TB cases and has a burden of 219/100,000 population (inclusive of TB-HIV
co-infection) WHO., (2018). It also has a TB-HIV co-infection mortality rate of
18/100,000 population. About a tenth of HIV-positive patients in Nigeria are
infected with TB. However, according to the current Nigerian HIV/AIDS Indicator
and Impact Survey (NAIIS) report, the current HIV prevalence in Nigeria stands
at 1.4% while the TB-HIV co-infection was reported to be 19.1%.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Tuberculosis infection is one of
the major public health challenge and the most common opportunistic infection
among persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Delayed
treatment of tuberculosis leads to the increase in death rate among individuals
infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Human immunodeficiency
virus HIV is the maximum familiar risk factor for tuberculosis, and coincident
infection with human immunodeficiency virus is the leading cause of morbidity
and deaths in patients with HIV/AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
(Vahdatin et al., 2013; Ghaffari-Fam et al., 2015).The research problem
addressed in this study is to determine the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and HIV co-infection among patient
attending Dutse General Hospital. Therefore its important to understand the
prevalence and risk factors associated with this co-infection will allow health
care Professionals to determine the infection rate.
1.3 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
The findings from this research can
contribute to a broader understanding of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis and HIV
co-infection burden and its implications at Dutse General Hospital. The study's
results can aid healthcare practitioners in implementing targeted interventions
for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Tuberculosis and HIV co-infection.
1.4 AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The main aim of this study is to
determine the prevalence of Mycobacterium
tuberculosis and HIV co-infection among patients attending Dutse General
Hospital
1.4.2 OBJECTIVES
The specific objectives include:
1.
To determine the
prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
and HIV co-infection among patients attending Dutse General Hospital.
2.
To determine the
prevalence of infection rate among both different age groups.
3.
To determine the
prevalence of infection among gender.
1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
As a time factor, the scope of this
research narrowed down to fit the time limit, for this reason, research was
limited among documented register of mycobacterium
tuberculosis and HIV co- infection
among patient attending Dutse General Hospital.
1.6
DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS
MTB: Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency
Virus
AIDS: Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome
TST: Tuberculin Skin
Test
ART: Antiretroviral
Therapy
CDC: Centre for the
disease control and infection
WHO: World Health Organization
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