TB, malaria, HIV: Deadlysome three

Three diseases seem to be holding developing countries like ours by the jugular. Two of these diseases — HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis — are communicable, while one — malaria — isn’t.

While they don’t necessarily lead to death when managed effectively, sometimes, they do lead to morbidity — a state of unwholesome feelings.

Tuberculosis is an air-borne infectious disease, which, though preventable and curable, still afflicts millions of people globally, including Nigeria.

According to a World Health Organisation factsheet, in 2011 alone, 8.7 million people fell ill with TB, including 1.1 million cases among people living with HIV.

That same year, 1.4 million people died from TB, including 430,000 among people who were HIV-positive.

Experts say this infection is one of the top killers of women worldwide, as a whopping half a million women died from TB in 2011 alone.

Worse still, there were an estimated 310,000 cases of multidrug-resistant TB among notified TB patients with pulmonary TB.

Malaria seems to be present with us perpetually, and that is one reason why many take to self-medication whenever they are down with what they self-diagnose as a bout of malaria.

Experts warn that though malaria may be endemic in the country, it is one deadly disease that should not be trifled with. The WHO says if not treated, malaria can quickly become life-threatening by disrupting the blood supply to vital organs.

Many people are not aware of the fact that malaria can cause:

Anaemia: The destruction of red blood cells by the malaria parasite can cause severe anaemia, as the red blood cells are unable to carry enough oxygen to the body’s muscles and organs, leaving the patient feeling drowsy, weak and faint.

Brain damage: This is known as cerebral malaria and it can cause the brain to swell, sometimes leading to permanent brain damage. It can also cause seizures or coma

Other complications that can arise due to severe malaria include breathing problems such as fluid in the lungs; liver failure, jaundice, a sudden drop in blood flow, leading to shock; abnormally low blood sugar; kidney failure; swelling and rupturing of the spleen; and dehydration.

Experts say complications of severe malaria can occur within hours or days of the first symptoms, and that it is important to seek urgent medical help as soon as possible.

For pregnant women, babies, young children and the elderly, “The effects of malaria are usually more severe, hence the need for urgent medical intervention''.

The unholy alliance between TB and HIV is such that experts say people living with HIV are more likely than others to become sick with TB. “Worldwide, TB is one of the leading causes of death among people living with HIV. Without treatment, as with other opportunistic infections, HIV and TB can work together to shorten lifespan,” they warn.

As severe as this co-infection is, WHO says in 2011 alone, globally, 48 per cent of TB patients known to be living with HIV were started on anti-retroviral therapy.