BuaNews (Tshwane)
Nthambeleni Gabara
11 September 2008
Johannesburg — Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death in Gauteng, the provincial MEC for Health Brian Hlongwa announced on Thursday.
According to the Health in Gauteng Status Report in Johannesburg, Mr Hlongwa, said it was a sad reality that TB was the leading cause of death in the period under review.
Mr Hlongwa said if the province's residents realised the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and sought treatment earlier then perhaps the rate would not be as high due to the fact that it was curable.
"One can never over emphasise the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle."
However, the National TB Crisis Plan, which is aimed at improving the tuberculosis cure rate, did show a successful impact in the Johannesburg district in the last three quarters of 2006/7.
The TB Crisis Plan is currently being implemented in all six health districts in the province.
The MEC said they had however managed to increase the number of TB patients receiving treatment.
The successful treatment of new TB patients increased in the last financial year from 62.4 percent in 2004 to 72.3 percent in 2006.
He said the status report was crucial in informing policy makers, academics, non-governmental organisations and members of the public about the public health profile of their province.
"This is the first attempt to provide an informed basis for the work we do, the resources at hand and the environment in which we work.
"The report will also serve as a further basis for future evaluation and effective tool by which our performance will be assessed," he said.
The MEC said no one could dispute that health practitioners were operating in an environment which was under resourced.
"The resources could never be sufficient. However, one cannot undervalue the need for allocation of sufficient resources to ensure improved quality education, the provision of safe water supply and basic needs."
Mr Hlongwa said it was the provincial government's priority is to get maximum value out of the resources at their disposal, adding that the report presented them with the opportunity to develop in informed and planned approach to quality health care delivery.
According to the 2007 Community Survey conducted by Statistics South Africa, Gauteng has a population of over 10 million, making it the most populous province in the country.
It means the demands for public health services has increased and given the projections of the Gauteng Global City Region; the demand will continue to escalate.
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