Summary
Published November 2014.
Approximately 13% of the newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB) cases, or 1.1 million people worldwide, are coinfected with the HIV. In 2011 alone, HIV-associated TB contributed to over 430 000 deaths, the majority of which were in sub-Saharan Africa [1]. The WHO has recommended enhanced HIV and TB program collaboration and service integration to facilitate the concerted prevention, treatment and support of these commonly occurring co-infections, and mitigate their dual impact. The principle of ‘two diseases, one patient’, however, remains unrealized within many high-burden countries as a result of significant challenges associated with codiagnosis, co-treatment and TB infection control, as well as financial and human resource constraints [2–4].We call attention to the distinct paradigms underlying HIV and TB service delivery, or the distinct ‘cultures’ of HIV and TB care, as an additional consideration to integration efforts.