Taking medicine the only way to beat TB

In the light of World Tuberculosis (TB) Day today, experts have warned that adherence to a strict regime of medication remained the best way of fighting the disease.

The South African National Tuberculosis Association’s (Santa’s) Western Cape coordinator, Derick Esterhuizen, said he believed the spread of TB is getting worse.

“I do believe it’s getting worse because wherever I go [to hospitals or medical clinics], people are complaining that TB is not getting much better.”

He said the biggest complaints he got was that poor to no adherence to medication lead to a higher risk of TB infections returning or being spread.

“Adherence [to medication] is a critical factor because poor adherence can lead to further drug resistance and even death. Some MDR-TB regimens require a patient to take 17 pills a day and patients may experience side-effects, which include hearing problems.”

According to the NGO Right to Care, TB is the primary cause of death among infectious diseases in South Africa.

“In SA, TB contributes to approximately 25% of HIV-related deaths. It is estimated that around 70% of new adult cases of tuberculosis are co-infected with HIV.

“The risk of TB in people living with HIV can be significantly reduced by antiretroviral therapy and isoniazid [an antibiotic used to treat TB], but adherence remains the key challenge” said spokesperson Thandi Dlamini-Miti.

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