Women, immigration, poverty and tuberculosisDonne,immigrazione, povertà e tubercolosi

In 2008 3,6 million women fell ill with TB and 700.000 women died from TB including 200.000 with HIV and TB. TB is the 3rd leading cause of death worldwide among women aged 15-44. It has to be noted that this range includes both the reproductive and working age. TB is the disease of poverty affecting vulnerable groups and more than half of death occur in Asia and the greatest TB burden per population is in Africa. The diffusion of HIV epidemic provokes a “feminization” of this infection with a great burden of TB and HIV. Other factors strictly connected with the social realities of low income countries like malnutrition and food insecurity can contribute to make the situation worst and other important factors like tobacco abuse or comorbidities can increase burden of TB. Migration from low-income countries can therefore represent another dramatic spot. Women pay also an additional cost connected to pregnancy and delivery, specially to the peri-partum period. The incidence of TB during pregnancy is increasing also in developed and developing countries.