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Childhood TB: Failure in guidelines update leaves SA kids behind

Health Policy, News

Despite the availability of a new shorter treatment regimen for children with non-severe tuberculosis(TB), South African children are stuck with the longer six-month prescription. This is because the country failed to update guidelines for the management of childhood TB since…

Ndivhuwo Mukwevho
April 3, 2023

#WorldTBDay: ‘I never thought that a person like me at such a young age could be diagnosed with TB’

News

Childhood and adolescent tuberculosis (TB) is common and often more difficult to diagnose and treat. Health-e News spoke to two TB survivors who had the disease while they were just 14 and 18 and about the special challenges having TB as a teen.

NdivhuwoMukwevho and NdivhuwoMukwevho
March 24, 2021

Activist concerned about lack of TB medication for children

Our Health

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is difficult to cope with for many adults who find themselves with the disease, and the amount of time it takes to manage it is frustrating. The situation is worse when a child has it and the treatment available is not suited to their needs.

Marcia Moyana
December 4, 2019

TB patients still shunned by families

News

Despite South Africa being the only country in the world to make a new TB drug available to all who have drug-resistant TB, many TB patients are still avoided by their families.

Amy Green and Amy Green
March 25, 2019

TB patients still shunned by families

Health

Despite South Africa being the only country in the world to make a new TB drug available to all who have drug-resistant TB, many TB patients are still avoided by their families.

Amy Green
March 25, 2019

New HIV drug safe with preventive TB meds

News

A new blockbuster HIV drug is safe in combination with a shorter and more effective prescription to prevent deadly tuberculosis (TB), according to breaking research from South Africa.

Amy Green
March 7, 2019

New HIV drug safe with preventive TB meds

News

A new blockbuster HIV drug is safe in combination with a shorter and more effective prescription to prevent deadly tuberculosis (TB), according to breaking research from South Africa.

Amy Green
March 7, 2019

Joburg girl battles TB stigma on the global stage

News

THE HAGUE: During the launch of a new book which tells the story about their tuberculosis (TB) journey, Janet, and her nine-year-old daughter Angelina, spoke to Health-e News from the Netherlands about the stigma they faced in a local pre-school.

Amy Green
October 30, 2018

Calls for action at historic TB meeting

News

President Cyril Ramaphosa will join other world leaders today (September 26th) to decide on how to fight TB: the world's, and South Africa's, deadliest infectious disease.

Amy Green
September 26, 2018

‘You can’t fight TB if you don’t show up’

News

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa account for half of the world’s tuberculosis cases, but only South Africa’s president will attend today’s (September 26th) first United Nations high-level meeting on TB.

Amy Green
September 26, 2018

World first for SA: All-access for blockbuster TB drug

News

South Africa made history on Monday when the health department announced that all drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) patients will be eligible to receive the new medicine, bedaquiline, becoming the first country to do so.

Amy Green
June 19, 2018

No end in sight for TB

News

South Africa is one of seven countries responsible for the majority of the world’s tuberculosis (TB) burden, according to the 2017 Global TB Report published last month. The goal, set by the World Health Assembly, to effectively end TB by 2035 will not be met unless the country meets its own targets.

Amy Green
November 20, 2017

New pain-free test for TB in kids

Health

Diagnosing TB in children is so difficult and often-painful that many kids are misdiagnosed and lose their chance to be cured, but new research offers hope.

Amy Green
October 23, 2017

Taking the pain out of kiddie TB tests

Health

For children with suspected tuberculosis (TB), diagnosis is difficult and can often be painful and complicated. In a vulnerable population where many kids are being missed new diagnostics are critical. And preliminary results from a South African trial have given experts in the field, and patients, a glimmer of hope.