Keeping TB on the nation's health radar

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the number two killer when it comes to infectious diseases worldwide. And in its 2014 report, the World Health Organization (WHO), says 9,6 million people contracted TB and over 1,5 million of those succumbed to the illness.

Early detection

Collaborative prevention and treatment efforts in South Africa have done well to curb the spread of the often-fatal disease, and early detection is the foundation for better TB control.

The determinants of TB infection and its prognoses, which include working environments such as mines and overcrowding in accommodation and public transport, are more commonly observed in low and middle-income countries which contribute over 95% to total TB deaths globally.

SA is number three

South Africa has the third highest incidence of TB in the world - India and China are ranked first and second – and the latest WHO reports estimate an incidence of 450,000 new cases each year.

“In 2009 the cure rate for TB among South Africans stood at 71,1% and although this was encouraging, there is still more work to be done. In order to see a higher treatment success rate, hurdles such as poor adherence to the standard six-month treatment must be addressed,” says Ian Wakefield, Becton Dickinson(BD) general manager for Southern Africa.

Drug-resistant strains are the challenge

Since its entry into the South African market 21 years ago, medical technology company, BD, has worked steadfastly to support initiatives to ensure that TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment remain a priority among South African healthcare workers and patients.

Wakefield explains that it is the run-away drug-resistant strains that make efforts to curb TB especially challenging: “This is where diagnosis and treatment need to work seamlessly. Keeping ahead of the different types of infections we are detecting and matching them to the most adequate and effective treatment available is a priority.”