BuaNews (Tshwane)
Gabi Khumalo
20 March 2008
Pietermaritzburg — As part of this year's World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Neliswa Nkonyeni is to lead a campaign calling on individuals to make a commitment to stop Tuberculosis (TB).
TB Day, which is held annually on 24 March worldwide, is designed to build public awareness that TB remains an epidemic in much of the world causing the deaths of thousands of people each year.
The slogan for the province's week-long TB campaign, which kicks off on 25 March, is "STOP TB".
According to the department the slogan is more than a slogan but the start of a campaign that belongs to people everywhere who are doing their part to stop TB.
"This year's World TB Day is about celebrating the lives and stories of people affected by TB including women, men and children who have taken TB treatment.
"It's about nurses, doctors, researchers, community workers anyone who has contributed towards the global fight against TB," said the department.
During campaign Ms Nkonyeni will be visiting communities in eThekwini, Umzinyathi, Zululand, Umgungundlovu and Uthungulu where she will hand-over a donation to Khanya Afrika, a voluntary organisation of healthcare professionals.
The campaign will focus on among others, the department's progress on TB, treating patients and saving lives, early detection, participation to stop TB and human suffering as a reason enough to fight TB.
KwaZulu-Natal has been identified as one of the worst affected provinces in the country with the higher TB case and poorest treatment outcomes.
According to the department's statistics, the number of TB cases registered in the province has increased by 80 percent.
The number of TB cases registered increased from 39 000 to 70 000 between the period 2001 to 2004.
The department noted treatment outcomes in the province as worse than a number of other provinces.
In 2003, the successful completion rate was 50 percent, which is the lowest in the country, a cure rate of 36 percent, second lowest in country and a defaulter rate of 14 percent, which is the highest in the country.
The eThekwini Municipality has been identified as one of the districts most affected by TB in South Africa.
The department also noted that rapid increase in TB and poor treatment outcomes was directly related to the increase in HIV in the province.
"The increase in case load is also being driven by poverty and KwaZulu-Natal comprises large and fragmented rural and peri-urban communities with department's poor socio-economic conditions.
"Failure to adhere to treatment due to the above circumstances is compounding the epidemic, leading to multi drug resistant [MDR] TB," the department said.
In addressing the TB epidemic, the department identified the emergency approach including the engagement of stakeholders at all levels and development and implementation of a community mobilisation strategy.
This means involving the private, public and non-governmental organisations sector at national, provincial and local level in KwaZulu-Natal and leading the development and implementation of programmes and initiatives focused on increasing awareness, the department said.
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