People-centered talk show to strengthen health literacy in communities at risk of TB transmission
CAPE TOWN, 31 OCTOBER 2024: Beyond the Diagnosis – is a new live community radio campaign – focused on health-related information on tuberculosis (TB) – to strengthen health literacy in communities at risk for TB transmission. TB HIV Care (THC) in collaboration with medical doctor, globally recognised health advocate, and survivor of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), Dr Zolelwa Sifumba will talk about the importance of TB screening, knowing if you are at risk of TB transmission, recognising TB-related signs and symptoms affecting your health, and where to access TB support health services. Beyond the Diagnosis will be hosted across four community radio stations broadcasting to communities in the Ingquza Hill, King Sabata Dalindyebo, Mhlontlo, and Nyandeni Local Municipalities. Dr Sifumba will co-host regular weekly talk shows across the following radio stations between October to December 2024:
“Health education on all levels, including within local communities in languages accessible to community members, is key to combating the spread of tuberculosis”, said Zolelwa Sifumba, M.D., and Global health advocate.
TB is the world’s second deadliest infectious disease after COVID-19. In 2022, the global number of newly diagnosed TB cases reached 7.5 million, the highest recorded since the WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995. This represents a rebound above the pre-COVID level of 7.1 million in 2019, marking a 16% increase from 2021 (6.4 million cases), a 28% increase from 2020 (5.8 million cases), and the highest annual number recorded since the World Health Organization (WHO) began global TB monitoring in 1995. In 2022, 6.3% of all new TB cases occurred among people living with HIV (PLWH), a proportion that has been steadily declining for several years. The highest rates were in countries within the WHO African Region, with over 50% of new TB cases in parts of southern Africa involving PLWH.
In 2022, TB caused an estimated 1.3 million deaths globally, with 424,000 (over 33% TB-related deaths) of these occurring in the African region, according to WHO estimates. In South Africa, TB caused 54,000 deaths, with 31,000 occurring among PLWH and 23,000 among those who were HIV-negative. Drug-resistant TB remains a public health threat, particularly due to resistance to rifampicin, the most effective first-line drug. Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) is defined as TB resistant to both rifampicin and isoniazid, and both MDR-TB and rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) necessitate treatment with second-line drugs. MDR-TB is especially prevalent in South Africa, accounting for 35% of diagnosed cases in the African Region in 2022.
South Africa’s multi-faceted efforts have led to a 53% reduction in its TB incidence rate since 2015, with treatment coverage rising from 58% to 77% since 2020. Despite the noteworthy milestones, stigma remains a pervasive barrier to finding and treating people with TB. THC is committed to South Africa’s multi-stakeholder response to eliminate TB. Between April 2023 and March 2024, THC screened 6,992,255 people for TB across various regions of the country through its integrated healthcare services.
“Community radio is key to raising awareness in urban areas where inequality heightens vulnerability to TB and HIV. Radio campaigns can break stigma and connect people to treatment. To eliminate TB by 2030, no voice must go unheard”, said Michelle Carey, Demand Creation Manager, TB HIV Care.
At the United Nations Headquarters, new ambitious targets were set to eliminate TB by 2030. Member states must ensure equitable access to TB prevention, testing, treatment, and care in their efforts. A key goal is to provide life-saving treatment to up to 45 million people globally between 2023 and 2027, including 4.5 million children and 1.5 million individuals with drug-resistant TB. Additionally, up to 45 million people should receive preventive treatment, including 30 million household contacts of TB patients, children, and 15 million people living with HIV. In response to these ambitious targets, the PEPFAR Global Health Security and Diplomacy committed to detect two million people with active TB and prevent at least 500,000 TB-related deaths among PLWH by December 2027. This effort includes the implementation of TB/HIV Acceleration Plan (TAP) in PEPFAR-supported countries like South Africa, focusing on addressing TB and TB/HIV gaps.
More than half of the world’s population lives in urban centres, where the majority of people affected by HIV, TB, and related diseases are found. In urban settings, the risk of transmission and vulnerability to HIV and TB increase due to factors like social connectivity, migration, unemployment, and widespread social and economic inequalities.
The Beyond the Diagnosis campaign underscores efforts by THC’s Care and Treatment (C&T) Programme to make access to TB health services accessible to vulnerable and underserved communities. The C&T Programme is funded by PEPFAR, through the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Issued by:
Aziel Gangerdine
TB HIV Care, Communications Manager
E-mail: aziel@tbhivcare.org
Cell: +27 (0) 66 545 6053
ENDS.
TB HIV Care
TB HIV Care is a registered non-profit company (NPC) that puts integrated care at the heart of responding to TB, HIV, and other major diseases. We work to prevent, find and treat TB and HIV in South Africa as well as targeting our interventions to address the needs of populations most at risk, including communities in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, adolescent girls and young women in KwaZulu-Natal, inmates in correctional centres, sex workers and people who inject drugs.
