South Africa is one of the 30 countries in the world with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB), and the country is looking to escalate its efforts in fighting the disease by aiming to test five million people for TB over the next twelve months. This is a substantial increase from the 2.7 million people tested in 2023.
Professor Norbert Ndjeka, head of South Africa’s TB program, emphasized the importance of scaling up testing to achieve the World Health Organization’s (WHO) strategy to end the global TB epidemic by 2035. Modeling suggests that testing five million people annually could lead to a 29% reduction in TB incidence and a 41% reduction in mortality by 2035.
However, there are still gaps that need to be addressed. The WHO targets include a 95% reduction in TB deaths, a 90% reduction in new TB cases, and ensuring that zero families face catastrophic costs due to TB. While South Africa has seen a 53% reduction in new TB cases since the start of the End TB strategy in 2015, there is still work to be done in reducing TB deaths, which only decreased by 16% over the same period.
In 2023, TB claimed the lives of 56,000 people in South Africa, making it one of the leading causes of death in the country. Ndjeka highlighted that one in five people die from TB in South Africa every year.
There are various obstacles to the TB response in South Africa, including the stigma surrounding TB and HIV, which can deter individuals from seeking timely diagnosis and treatment. Other barriers include a lack of trained healthcare workers, poor referral systems, drug stock-outs, and mistrust in the health system. Limited access to healthcare services in rural and remote areas, coupled with inadequate infrastructure and resources, also hinders early detection and proper care.
To combat TB effectively, key strategies include accelerating targeted universal TB testing, conducting community-wide screening, and forming public-private partnerships to increase access to TB testing. Multi-sectoral engagement and closer collaboration with communities are essential to finding and successfully treating people with TB.
In conclusion, the fight against TB in South Africa requires a concerted effort from all sectors of society. By increasing testing, addressing gaps in the TB response, and implementing key strategies, South Africa aims to make significant progress in the fight against TB and work towards the WHO’s goal of ending the global TB epidemic by 2035. The world of online shopping is constantly evolving, with new trends and technologies shaping the way we shop. From virtual fitting rooms to personalized recommendations, there are countless ways that e-commerce companies are innovating to provide a seamless and convenient shopping experience for consumers.
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