Title: A collective battle in the TB war.

POPLINE Document Number: 195354

Author(s):

Urdaneta C

Source citation:

Global HealthLink, 2003 Jul-Aug;(122):10-11, 19.

Abstract:

Life in South Africa's rural areas - despite its deep traditions, familial ties, and a hard-fast faith in humanity - is challenging. The Eastern Cape Province, which has given the world some of its greatest leaders in Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko, suffered greatly at the hands of the apartheid regime. Today, the Eastern Cape's rural villages are disproportionately affected by tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/AIDS, diseases whose societal impact is exacerbated by widespread poverty. The odds of effectively combating TB are currently stacked against many communities. Breakdowns in TB support, implementation and community systems all contribute to high treatment interruption, low cure rates, and inefficient case findings. In the Eastern Cape Province, half of all TB patients do not complete their treatment and cure rates are currently below 50 percent, dipping even lower in some of the poorest areas. These statistics are among the worst on the continent; only Nigeria and Ethiopia have worse TB infection rates. (excerpt)

Keywords:

South Africa
Rural Population
Poverty
Community
Tuberculosis
AIDS
HIV Infections
Treatment
Programs
Africa, Southern
Africa, Sub Saharan
Africa
Developing Countries
Population Characteristics
Demographic Factors
Population
Socioeconomic Factors
Economic Factors
Residence Characteristics
Population Distribution
Geographic Factors
Infections
Diseases
Viral Diseases
Organization and Administration