Each year, 200,000 people die because HIV programs are still not integrating tuberculosis prevention and care into their work, and as a result, TB remains the biggest killer among HIV-positive people, experts estimated on the opening day of the 38th World Lung Health conference in South Africa.

“It’s a scandal in my mind that not all HIV patients are being screened for TB,” said Dr Paula Fujiwara of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, speaking at a press conference on HIV and TB.

“If we screened all people living with HIV for TB, we could save thousands of lives,” said Dr Alasdair Reid, TB/HIV Liaison at UNAIDS.

The numbers of people with HIV and TB coinfection is still unknown, although the World Health Organisation has made estimates. The Stop TB Partnership believes that 600,000 HIV-positive people are infected with TB each year, of whom one-third will die.

Five thousand activists marched to the conference centre on Thursday night to present a global call to action against tuberculosis. They described the current state of TB/HIV management as unacceptable and inadequate.