• SA has one of the highest TB incidence rates globally and in some areas and age groups this exceed 1 in 100 people with the disease
  • ~70% of TB patients are co-infected with HIV
  • It has peaked in 2008 and is slowly declining thanks to the expansion of anti-retroviral treatment
  • TB is curable with 6 months of treatment and the early it is diagnosed the better the chance of cure
  • Drug resistant TB is an emerging problem in SA and for some types direct transmission can account for 80% of the disease burden
  • You can only know if you have drug resistant TB if you get tested – this is free at state facilities with state of the art technologies applied
  • A new drug has been introduced to treat TB and has shown positive results
  • Patients in congregate settings (mines, prisons) are at a higher risk of acquiring the disease.