Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide, and in South Africa, TB remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with an estimated 280000 new cases and 54000 TB deaths in 2022. According to WHO, about 40% of the incident cases in 2020 were either underreported or underdiagnosed, either because of barriers to accessing care or inadequate diagnosis. Furthermore, not all people diagnosed with TB complete treatment.  In 2022, in South Africa, of 280000 people who fell ill with TB, approximately 66000 people with TB were not notified, and treatment coverage was 77%. These data indicate a need for more efforts to address gaps in the TB response to end TB in South Africa.  

This session will discuss a range of issues and efforts to address TB in South Africa. It will present findings on knowledge about TB among South Africans, present an example of differentiated service delivery for TB preventive therapy, share findings on new modalities for TB screening (point-of-care C-reactive protein (CRP) and artificial intelligence-based computer-aided TB diagnostics and discuss findings of study on the therapeutic threshold for tuberculosis using adapted Nominal Group Technique and clinical vignettes.

Symposium Co-Chairs: Professor Khangelani Zuma and Ms Matsiliso Sopoli, USAID

Date: 5 June 2024

Time: 14:00-15:30