The Free State Department of Health is continuing its work in reducing the prevalence of the killer disease tuberculosis (TB), to consolidate gains made from 2017 to 2021.
Mathabo Leeto, provincial MEC for Health, said the department’s tracking of TB cases during the period in question indicated a decline in the number of drug susceptible cases.
The number of cases per year are:
- 2017 – 12 588;
- 2018 – 10 657;
- 2019 – 10 958;
- 2020 – 9 409; and
- 2021 – 7 565.
Leeto revealed this against the backdrop of this year’s World TB Day, observed on 24 March. Global efforts are aimed at ending TB by 2030.
This year individual action to contribute to the national effort against TB was encouraged; and the importance of being accountable for one’s health status as an individual, emphasised.
Contrary to significant strides made by the provincial department, Leeto revealed there was an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with drug-resistant TB, blaming non-adherence to consistent intake and completion of treatment by patients.
To address the challenge, she said her department had put intervention programmes in place to maximise the reduction of TB cases and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB).
These measures are mobile chest X-rays for TB diagnosis, improved surveillance of TB-diagnosed patients, physical tracking and SMS notifications that contribute to early treatment initiations, and scientific innovations for a short treatment regimen of six to 12 months for DR-TB treatment.
Leeto said whilst numerous patients were still on other long term TB treatment, new patients underwent the shorter treatment. The process started in December last year with 26 patients, who she said were doing well.
An estimated 54 200 South Africans died of TB in 2022, and around 280 000 fell ill with the disease, according to new World Health Organization (WHO) figures. According to the global health watchdog, the numbers signal that the country was meeting its targets relating to the reduction of TB cases, but not when it came to reducing related deaths.
In its latest report, the organisation stated that between 2015 and 2022 the country’s TB death rate reduced by 17%, stressing that a further 73% reduction (from 2015 rates) needed to be achieved in the remaining seven years until 2030 to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target.
