March 6: At least 30 per cent of TB patients in certain areas of the state such as Vijayawada are HIV positive, revealed the TB Alert UK chief executive, Mr Mike Man-delbaum. Mr Mike also informed, "Around 1.7 million people die of TB every year in the world with majority deaths from India. TB Alert Asia representative Mr Tilak S. Chauhan said, "Anantapur and Adilabad have highest prevalence and according to a study in Nalgonda, Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad on Multi Drug Resistant TB, 45 cases have been recorded. Morever, the treatment for Multi drug Resistant TB is expensive," he added. "It is now the responsibility of health workers to administer the drug to the patients," Dr Nalini Krishnan project director^ of Reach said.