VANDERBIJLPARK. – The Gauteng Department of Health has initiated a proactive effort to re-engage individuals in their tuberculosis (TB) treatment programs, prompted by a concerning decline in the recovery rate of TB patients in the Marikana informal settlement.

This response follows a somber 1st quarter report for the 2023/2024 financial year, which revealed troubling statistics in the Sedibeng district.

The report disclosed a startling 15% mortality rate, with 94 patients succumbing to TB, and an alarming loss to follow-up rate of 9.9%, involving 60 patients.

Of particular concern is that Sedibeng, a relatively small municipal district, accounts for nearly half of the TB-related deaths in the bustling metropolis of Johannesburg, which reported 200 deaths.

In light of these disheartening figures, MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko led a visit to the settlement just outside Vanderbijlpark, accompanied by the TB program team and dedicated healthcare professionals. Their mission is to raise awareness about the insidious disease and encourage residents to adhere to their prescribed medication regimens.

Following her visit, Nkomo-Ralehoko passionately declared: “We are here to ensure that the many community members who are defaulting on TB treatment in this area are put back on their treatment regimen as soon as possible.

We cannot continue to mourn the loss of our loved ones due to TB, a disease that is curable and for which treatment is readily available at all levels of healthcare in the province.”

During her visit, Nkomo-Ralehoko also took the time to meet with Ntswaki Lehona, a 33-year-old individual initially diagnosed with multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) in the Free State in 2003.

After being diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) and receiving TB treatment at Sizwe Tropical Hospital, Lehona’s condition has significantly improved.

The TB program manager, Grace Radebe, emphasised the pressing need for increased awareness, given the rising TB infections in Marikana.

She explained: “We brought the campaign to Marikana because the area is far from the Bophelong clinic.

We learned that our patients do not come to the clinic, primarily due to its distance and size. Given the high prevalence of TB in the area, we decided to bring healthcare services directly to the people and conduct numerous screenings here.”