Another main reason of increase in the number of deaths in HIV patients has been discovered by non-governmental authorities, according to them, HIV patients are increasingly having TB infection, which leads to co-infection, and ultimately death.

In India, less than 5% HIV patients are automatically tested for TB, and there is upsurge in the number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) to get contracted with TB. Owing to this, Global Health Advocates (GHA) and the Indian Network for People living with HIV/AIDS (INP+) has recommended three suggestions to the National AIDS Control Organization, which would be implemented in the National AIDS Control Program (NACP-IV) from 2012 to 2017.

The suggestions, which cover three main areas, have been made with consideration of seven nation consultants, and that are: prevention of TB among HIV infected people; improved Anti-Retroviral (ART) treatment and early diagnosis checking for resistance to first-line ARTs for people living with HIV/AIDS as well as with TB-HIV co-infection; and mainstreaming HIV into the health system.

And, the main recommendation is to introduce molecular-based NAATs (Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests), which could early diagnose TB in HIV patients.

Mamta Jacob of GHA said that a single poly pill medicine on ATT and ART for patients suffering from HIV-TB co-infection should be introduced in India.