Each of us has a role to play in ending TB, says Durban-based non-profit

WORLD Tuberculosis Day, observed on March 24, is a day aimed at building public awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis and efforts to eliminate the disease. In 2018, 10 million people fell ill with TB, and 1.5 million died from the disease. This internationally-recognised day holds special significance in South Africa with the country being among those that have the highest number of cases of TB in the world.

Michael Wilson, director of the Durban-based non-profit organisation, Advance Access and Delivery South Africa, says that South Africa has been proactive in the fight against TB. “Even though South Africa is listed as one of the 30 highest burdened countries in the world with TB, I think that South Africa is very committed and has the tools and the leadership to tackle this issue. The task of tackling TB in South Africa has also been included in our National Strategic Plan with the World Health Organisation’s commitment and goal to end TB by 2035. We have some of the most brilliant scientists and dedicated community members, nurses and community health workers behind us, so I’m really confident that we will end TB by 2035.”

Also Read: World Tuberculosis Day: TB and children

Advancements in TB testing 

Wilson commended South Africa for using advanced methods, such as Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Gene Xpert), a rapid automated molecular test that can be used to enable early diagnosis of TB, to help identify TB in people quickly and effectively.

“World TB Day falls on March 24 because on March 24, 1882, Robert Cook announced to the world that he had discovered mycobacterium tuberculosis, a species of pathogenic bacteria in the family Mycobacteriaceae and the causative agent of tuberculosis, and at that time, one in seven people in Europe and America were dying of tuberculosis. Since then, there have been massive innovations around identifying TB and finding TB through methods such as Gene Xpert, and South Africa has been one of the leading countries to roll out Gene Xpert. We have been using Gene Xpert; whereas, another way to test for TB, the sputum smear test, misses a lot of people. South Africa has been using chest X-rays for many, many years, but now South Africa is using chest X-rays and artificial intelligence to narrow that gap of missing people,” said Wilson.

TB Awareness Day theme 

The theme for TB Awareness Day this year is ‘Yes! You and I can end TB’, and Wilson says that it’s very fitting as the fight against TB takes all of us. “It is a community and a collective effort to end TB, and each of us has a role to play in ending TB. In SA, in 2022, 468 000 people were diagnosed with TB, and 11 000 of those cases were drug-resistant TB cases, and half of those people had HIV. We know that strategies to end TB combine into one multi-disciplinary strategy, but it also takes a community – it takes all of us. Whether that be reducing the stigma or educating people in our social circles.”

Also Read: What we need to remember on Human Rights Day

Wilson explained that if somebody has what’s called ‘drug-sensitive TB’, then they must take a certain course of antibiotics, and if that doesn’t work, they’re moved to a second course, and sometimes, it is found that some people have a type of tuberculosis that is drug-resistant.

Wilson says that Advance Access and Delivery South Africa has, for the past four years, been working to eliminate tuberculosis in people who are experiencing homelessness and people who are using drugs.

“From our case-finding activities over the last three years, we have found between four and six times more people that have TB in this group as compared to the general population. So, we have partnered with TB HIV Care, The Denis Hurley Centre and the Department of Health to scale up active case-finding and treatment support among this group of people. As you can imagine, if you’re experiencing homelessness, it can be very difficult to take your medications on a regular basis. For the country to achieve its goals of eliminating TB by 2035, it’s not only finding people that have TB; it’s also ensuring that they start and finish their treatment plus they have access to good food and rest while they have tuberculosis.”

For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.