South Africa recorded approximately 54,000 deaths from tuberculosis (TB) in 2024, according to the latest World TB Report from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The figures confirm a slow but steady downward trend in TB deaths in recent years. This marks a significant improvement from two decades ago. During that time, the epidemic, fueled by the peak of the HIV…
Tag: Drug-Resistant TB
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56,000 South Africans succumbed to tuberculosis in 2023
An estimated 1.25 million people worldwide and 56,000 in South Africa succumbed to tuberculosis (TB) in 2023, according to recent WHO figures. These alarming statistics place TB above COVID-19 as the leading infectious disease killer globally. Marcus Low analyzes these findings, examining TB’s persistent toll in South Africa and the WHO’s goals to reduce both TB incidence and mortality. TB…
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Affordable TB Medicines: South Africa’s Patent Battle
South Africa’s battle for affordable TB medicines echoes the country’s earlier struggle to expand access to HIV treatment. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, South Africa faced an uncontrolled AIDS epidemic. The crisis was worsened by the government’s rejection of the scientific consensus on HIV/AIDS. Under former President Thabo Mbeki, many public-sector patients were denied access to life-saving antiretroviral…