Mpumalanga Department of Health celebrate World Tuberculosis (TB) day
19 March 2009
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the major causes of illness and death in many countries and a significant public health problem worldwide.
South Africa is one of the 22 high burden countries that contribute approximately 80 percent of the total global burden of all TB cases. During the past ten years the incidence of TB has increased, in parallel to the increase in the estimated prevalence of HIV in the adult population. This has resulted in the increasing recognition of the problems posed to public health by TB.
Tuberculosis is a major health problem in Mpumalanga. The number of TB cases (people infected with TB) has increased from 10 631 in 2004 to 20 021 in 2007. About 70 percent of patients are in the age group of 25 to 55 years.
This has adverse affects to the income of their families as well as the income production of society and the Province. The province has improved TB treatment tremendously over the past three years. This is partly due to more focus, resources, both financial and human resource being invested in this area of work.
This has resulted in a gradual improvement in the management of TB in the province. The provincial TB cure rate(people who are treated for sic months and heal) for new smear positive cases has improved from 42 percent in 2004 to 56 percent in 2006. The TB defaulter rate (people not completing their six months treatment) remains high at 11 percent as well as the death rate (people who die as result of TB) at 10 percent.
Poor adherence to prescribed medication and interrupted treatment of TB not only fails to cure TB but often results in multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains which require long and more complex treatment. MDR-TB is TB that does not respond to at least two of the first line drugs and the treatment is up to 24 months. The Province currently has 302 patients on treatment of which 99 are in the ward whilst 203 are on community Direct Observed Treatment (DOT). Extreme Drug Resistant (XDR-TB) is TB that does not respond to first and second line drugs and the treatment lasts more than 36 months.
One other key aspect for the fight against TB is community awareness and support to people infected with TB. There continues a myth that equates TB to HIV and Aids which adds on the stigma, thus preventing people to come out openly to talk or present early in health facilities.
It is important to note that TB is infectious; hence it is extremely important for people to present as early as possible to health facilities for treatment. Once the patient with TB starts on treatment within a very short period of time they are not infective and they don’t spread TB to other people.
TB is infectious, and can be transmitted when a person talks, cough, spits or sneezes and the germ is spread into the air and the others can breathe it in. symptoms of TB include amongst others excessive cough over a two week period, loss of weight and appetite, sweating at night even when is cold, feeling tired and weak, pain in the chest shortage of breath and fever.
As mentioned earlier another challenge is for people to complete their six months treatment. It is very much important and requires family and community support to people on treatment.
It is once more important to know that TB preventable and curable. TB treatment is free at all public health facilities.
Most important prevention methods of TB include the following:
- Eating of Healthy foods (vegetable, fruits, milk, amasi, brown bread, maize meal, locusts, Mopani worms, eggs, meat, fish etc)
- Exercise regularly to keep your muscles strong
- Alcohol should be avoided because it lowers body resistance
- Smoking causes further damage to the lungs and can also cause heart diseases lung cancer
- Encourage friends, family, colleagues and neighbours to keep the windows open, to allow air to move freely in an out of their houses/workplaces
- Always cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing
- Immunisation of all babies at the clinic
- Visit your nearest clinic once you suspect you have TB
- It is important to complete treatment to be cured.
Details of the event are as follows:
Venue: Naas Stadium (Nkomazi Local Municipality)
Date: Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Time: 09h00
MEC fish Mahlalela will deliver a keynote address.
Media is invited.
NB: TB can be cured even if you are HIV positive
“Stop TB and complete your treatment.”
For more information contact
Mpho Gabashane
Cell: 082 802 4937
Issued by: Department of Health, Mpumalanga Provincial Government
