Feature Story

This year’s theme for the 38 th Union
World Conference on Lung Health is
"Confronting the challenges of HIV
and Multi-Drug Resistance in TB
prevention and care”.
Photo credit: P. Virot

More than 3,000 delegates are expected to attend the main annual conference on tuberculosis, which starts today in Cape Town , South Africa . This year’s theme for the 38 th Union World Conference on Lung Health is "Confronting the challenges of HIV and Multi-Drug Resistance in TB prevention and care”.  In addition to the focus on HIV, the conference will also deal with other key international lung health-related issues, such as tobacco control, child lung health and asthma.

It is particularly fitting that this year’s conference, with its emphasis on HIV and TB co-infection, is being held in South Africa, a country that is working to deal the medical, health, social and economic consequences of HIV and TB co-infection, in the face of resource constraints and other serious challenges.

The conference is organized by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease and runs through Monday 12 November.  Regular reports from the conference, developed in collaboration with Aidsmap, will be posted on the UNAIDS website.