‘Diabetes and tuberculosis’ – a co-epidemic of public health importance in the developing world

With the rising epidemic of diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) already being a major infectious disease of the world, when put together, this coepidemic constitutes a threat to global public health. The situation is critical in countries like India which are facing the dual burden of non-communicable diseases and communicable diseases. This not only affects the national productivity, but also the national exchequer. Henceforth, a crucial health strategy is required to control this co-epidemic. This article reviews the epidemiology of DM and TB, TB and its characteristics, the effect of DM on TB treatment outcomes, screening methods and diagnosis, economic impact on the health sector and guidelines which could prevent this burden.