Antibiotic slashes risk of drug-resistant TB in kids, finds major SA study

Posted in: Latest, TB, TB

Tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy has been transformed in recent years, with treatment duration having been cut from six or more months to just three or one. Progress in developing new treatments to prevent drug-resistant forms of TB has however lagged behind, especially in children. Elri Voigt unpacks findings from a major new TB prevention study presented at the Union World Conference on Lung Health last week and plans for another important preventive therapy trial set to start soon.

Antibiotic slashes risk of drug-resistant TB in kids, finds major SA study

In-depth: How big a problem is TB in SA’s schools?

Posted in: Latest, TB

While there is limited data on tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa’s schools, a growing body of evidence suggests that there is indeed significant TB transmission taking place in the country’s often over-crowded classrooms. Tiyese Jeranji spoke to several local experts about what we do and do not know about the impact this age-old disease is having on our learners and their households.

In-depth: How big a problem is TB in SA’s schools?

Opinion: Making good on the promise of SA’s TB Recovery Plan

Posted in: Latest, TB, TB

The South African TB Recovery Plan was developed to try and reverse the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country’s TB response. On World TB Day, authors from TB Proof (a leading TB activist group) assess how the recovery is going and identify four key areas where further intervention is needed.

Opinion: Making good on the promise of SA’s TB Recovery Plan

Editorial: New guidelines are a step forward for SA’s TB response

Posted in: Latest, TB, TB

New tuberculosis infection guidelines released ahead of World TB Day are another important step in the right direction for South Africa’s TB response, argues Spotlight editor Marcus Low, while also warning of the substantial implementation challenges that remain.