TB epidemic kills 110,000 in S’Africa

ABOUT 110,000 lives have been claimed by the wave of tuberculosis that broke out in parts of South Africa.

  Deputy Health Minister, Sibongiseni Dhlomo gave the figure during the ongoing seventh South Africa Tuberculosis Conference which commenced yesterday under the theme: working together to get tuberculosis control back on track.

  Explaining that figure covers death toll from 2021 when the epidemic began, Dhlomo also expressed worry that the scourge is not only on the rise but may also cross the country’s borders unless there is global effort to track it down.

  “With more than one million people succumbing to tuberculosis and becoming its patients in the country since 2010, even though the disease is curable and preventable, we have lost 110, 000 lives so far and still counting. This is why the world should come to our aid before the epidemic begins to cross our borders into neighbouring countries. We should not forget that South Africa is one of the high-burden countries for Tuberculosis, HIV-associated Tuberculosis and drug-resistant Tuberculosis,” he said.