HIV and tuberculosis co-infection in non-European migrants in Europe: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract
Background
Even though HIV-TB co-infection is an emerging public health issue among migrants in European countries, the number of related articles has shown a decreasing trend.
Methods
To better estimate the extent of this problem, we analyzed 34 articles reporting both prevalence and odds ratio for HIV-TB co-infection in migrants in European countries. Heterogeneity analysis was conducted to assess potential bias, and a random-effects model was used to calculate the effect size.
Results
The overall prevalence of HIV-TB co-infection was 9% (95%CI: 7% − 11%) in foreign-born individuals, with higher rates observed in specific subgroups: 14% (95%CI: 5% − 33%) in those from Sub-Saharan Africa, which is higher than the overall average, and 4% (95%CI: 2% − 7%) in those from Latin America, which is lower than the overall average. Compared to the native-born European population, foreign-born individuals had a twofold increased risk of HIV-TB co-infection, with a threefold increased risk for those from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Conclusions
Our meta-analysis results highlight the disproportionate burden of HIV-TB co-infection among foreign-born people in Europe, particularly those from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Authors
Benvenuto D, Raffetti E, Ceccarelli G, Salvo PF, Di Giambenedetto S, Cauda R, Ciccozzi M, Torti C, Ekström AM
Year
2025
Topics
- Population(s)
- Immigrants/Refugees/Non-status
- General HIV+ population
- Co-infections
- Tuberculosis
- Health Systems
- Governance arrangements
