One person in South Africa falls ill with TB every seven minutes. This is according to the National Department of Health (NDoH), as the country observes TB Awareness Month. TB has also been noted as one of the leading causes of death in the Western Cape for more than a decade.
City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Patricia van der Ross also adds that the country has one of the highest TB burdens in the world.
This year, the focus is on creating awareness of Targeted Universal Testing for TB (TUTT).
“While the disease is highly infectious, we also have the means to stop it in its tracks.”
In previous years, people were tested when they presented TB symptoms and those in vulnerable groups. But, with the focus now on targeted testing, as recommended by the NDoH, individuals who have been in close contact with a person diagnosed with TB get tested as well, regardless of their symptoms.
The theme for this year is ‘Yes, we can beat TB’ and culminates in World TB Day on Sunday, 24 March 2024.
“We become predisposed to diseases like TB when our immune system is weakened because of stress, not eating well, a lack of exercise, excessive smoking, alcohol or drug use. Untreated TB is a fatal disease,” added van der Ross
The good news is that TB can be treated and cured. The better news is that people can take precautions to avoid getting TB.
According to the City’s Health Department, to reduce the spread of TB bacteria, keep the windows open, let sunlight into your home and practice good hygiene by covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
You have the highest risk of breathing in TB bacteria and becoming infected when in close contact with family members, friends, co-workers or school friends who have the disease if you:
- Share the same enclosed space or living arrangement for one or more nights; or
- Share the same space at work, school, college or public transport for frequent or extended periods during the day.
Get a TB test if you:
- Have been in close contact with someone who has TB of the lungs during the three months before he or she began TB treatment
- Received TB treatment in the last two years
- Has recently been diagnosed with HIV
- Is HIV positive and taking Antiretroviral Therapy
- Is pregnant and HIV positive
You can get a TB test even if you do not have any symptoms. TB testing is free at all City of Cape Town clinics.
If you have any questions, speak to a healthcare worker at your nearest clinic. You can view a list of clinics at www.capetown.gov.za/clinics.
