tuberculosis
A double sentence: Prisoners at significantly higher risk for TB
Karabo Rafube (41), a former inmate who contracted tuberculosis (TB) in prison says it’s concerning that the fight against the infectious disease continues to be neglected within South African prisons. He was speaking after the recent launch of a new…
MDR-TB STREAM trial delivers promising results
The world’s largest clinical trial for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has found that the two new shortened treatment regimens are safe and effective. The newly published trial result also indicates lower patient direct costs. The long-awaited results from stage 2 of…
TB hits global upward curve for the first time in years
For the first time in two decades, there has been an increase in the estimated incidence of Tuberculosis (TB) globally. The number of deaths also increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and close to 11 million people fell ill in 2021…
Rollout of new drug resistant TB treatment expected next year
The rollout of a drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) regimen that is shorter and has reduced side effects is expected in 2023. In May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved a new six-month regimen, that slashed treatment time by a third.…
New TB testing strategy brings hope, but work remains
A new tuberculosis (TB) testing strategy has been available in South Africa since April this year, hoping to diagnose more people. Labelled a potential game-changer, an expert warns that issues like stigma and treatment barriers mustn’t be left behind. Known…
NCDs: ‘World has lost focus during COVID-19 pandemic’
A global health advisor believes that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have lost ground as the world continues to grapple with COVID-19 two years on. The impact of losing sight of the fight against diseases like tuberculosis and cancers will be felt…
TB Awareness Month: Why men are driving SA’s epidemic
As TB awareness month comes to an end, a researcher has pinpointed why more men are exposed to tuberculosis in South Africa – differences in behaviour and activities are fuelling the huge discrepancy. Dr Lucy Connell, TB programme lead at…
HIV-TB mortality rates: SA needs to stem the tide
Despite integrated interventions, the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), remains worried as South Africa’s HIV-TB mortality rates continue to soar. CAPRISA, a global research organisation, released a study that demonstrated that the mortality benefit…
TB vaccine: All hope rests on nine clinical trial candidates
As the world searches for a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, all eyes are on nine candidates who have progressed to phases 2 and 3 of the clinical trials. These nine individuals bring a sense of hope in the fight against the…
WHO calls for urgent BCG alternative
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has urged the development of a new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine to end the global epidemic. He used the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as a benchmark as the world searches for a life-saving…
Ritshidize report: Key populations left out in the cold
A new Ritshidize report has opened up yet another can of worms and this time it’s key populations who have been abandoned by the public healthcare system. The reported titled ‘State of Healthcare for Key Populations’ , which took 18…
Sound the alarm: We are failing to meet targets to beat TB but Khayelitsha’s care model during COVID-19 shows exactly how it should be done
During the course of the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health last week, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) announced the results of TB-PRACTECAL, the first-ever multi-country, randomised, controlled clinical trial to report on the effectiveness and safety of a six-month…