China's Health Ministry Tuesday detailed a plan to fight co-infection of HIV and tuberculosis (TB).

A ministry circular to health authorities across the country said tuberculosis infection had become one of the leading causes of death among people living with HIV.

People living with HIV whose immune systems were compromised by the virus are more likely to contract TB, and even die of it.

The number of cases of co-infection was still unknown.

The ministry ordered HIV/AIDS prevention and control authorities nationwide and those responsible for TB to step up cooperation in data sharing and testing.

The ministry ordered free treatment and follow-up visits to patients co-infected with HIV and TB once detected.

It required HIV/AIDS prevention authorities to annually provide at least one TB examination to people with HIV or AIDS patients.

TB prevention authorities were required to persuade people infected with TB to undergo HIV/AIDS tests.

The circular said cases should be properly and confidentially recorded and filed in a database and reported to government agencies, and also to keep the personal information of such cases confidential.

China was second to India in reported TB cases last year with 4.5 million. The World Health Organization estimates China has approximately 1.3 million new cases every year.

An estimated 700,000 people live with HIV in China, including about 75,000 AIDS patients.

In 2009, China reported that AIDS had become the country's leading infectious disease killer for the first time.

(Xinhua News Agency August 3, 2010)