Number one killer of South Africans
TB remains the number one killer of South Africans, with the Klerksdorp area having the highest number of reported TB cases.
JOHANNESBURG – It is also the area where residents are at the biggest risk of contracting TB. This made it the obvious choice for the launch of World TB Day on March 24.
Hundreds of residents joined Deputy President, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, the Premier of the NorthWest, Mr S Mahumapelo as well as many other dignitaries to launch the largest tuberculosis screening campaign yet seen in South Africa.
In his speech, Deputy President, Mr Ramaphosa said that six priority districts had been identified for the screening campaign, these are: Lejweleputswa in the Free State, West Rand in Gauteng, Sekhukhune and Waterberg in Limpopo and Bojanala and Dr Kenneth Kaunda in North West.
The aim is to screen around five million community members and 1.2 million children in schools, early childhood development centres and crèches. The programme has also already screened 140 000 community members in the six districts, and is on track to screen more than 90 per cent by March 2017.
The launch of the World TB day was a huge success, as residents of the Dr Kenneth Kaunda region were not only part of a historical event, but also received access to essential health.
