Introduction SPS notified 18 228 cases of tuberculosis (Tb) in 2009. The study of endemia trend since 1998 (49.3/100 000 inhabitants) points towards declining incidence rates (IR) of 37.9/100 000 inhabitants, showing a decrease of 23.7% up to 2009. In 1998, 16% of Tb cases were HIV+; in 2009, the co-infection fell to 12%.

Objectives Study TB/AIDS co-infection trend in SPS, 1998–2009.

Methodology Case numbers were found on SPS/Tb information database system.

Results The co-infection IR decreased from 7.3 in 1998 to 4.2 in 2009 showing a linear declining trend (R2=0.89). This trend was maintained for clinical forms, with the extra-pulmonary (EP) having declined from 1.74 (1998) to 1.33 (2009) (R2=0.77) and the pulmonary decreasing from 5.56 to 2.83 (R2=0.95). The 15–49 years old group was the most affected. Male co-infection IR was twice the female. Treatment outcomes in co-infected patients—in spite of having improved, the cure rates in 1998 (37.2%) compared to 2009 (54.4%)—were well below the non co-infected patients (78% in 2009). Default rates of co-infected also declined from 23.3% (1998) to 18.7% in 2009. Although showing a slight decline from 23.9 % in 1998 to 21.8 % in 2009, mortality rates deserve our worries.

Conclusions Overall, the results point out to a declining co-infection trend. However treatment outcomes are quite worrisome; the cure of co-infected patients, being lower than the non co-infected, demonstrate the need to create priorities and adequate strategies for this population, mainly regarding the follow-up of these cases.