Be smart, get tested for TB
2006-03-23
BY creating a focus area for Tuberculosis every year on World TB Day, 24 March, Government hopes that more support will be forthcoming to support the fight against the disease.
This year health services will focus on campaigns in communities and schools to spread the messages and encourage people to come forward for testing.
Government has prioritised TB control as needing urgent and sustained interventions.
According to Pierre Uys, Minister of Health in the Western Cape, the Provincial Government remains deeply concerned about the rising epidemic and is determined to ensure that additional resources are made available to support health services in the fight against TB.
An additional R12 million was made available this year to support TB hospitals and those sub-districts worst affected by the epidemic.
“The Western Cape achieved 67% cure rates in 2004,” said Dr Keith Cloete, Acting Chief Director: Health Programmes for the Western Cape Department of Health.
“Although much progress has been made to control TB and improve programme performance in Cape Town over the years, the number of TB cases reported each year continues to escalate, with 26,794 cases reported in Cape Town alone last year - an increase of 10% compared to the previous year,” said Dr Ivan Toms, Director, City Health.
Informal settlements where poverty and overcrowding are rife, have experienced the most significant increase in reported cases, with the overall incidence rates in Cape Town now up to 874 per 100,000 population, ranging from 496 per 100 000 in Tygerberg to 1,612 per 100,000 in Khayelitsha.
Drakenstein has the fourth highest incidence of TB, with 15% of the Western Cape's case load.
Local clinics are running a two week campaign at the moment.
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