My Health Matters / Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

With South Africa having one of the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) worldwide, coupled with equally high statistics of people living with HIV (PLHIV), two of the biggest issues in reducing both these numbers are access and adherence to medication.

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Tuberculosis Facts

  • TB was one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide in 2018.
  • In 2018, there were an estimated 10 million new TB cases worldwide. People living with HIV accounted for 9% of the total.
  • In 2018, 1.5 million people died from TB, including 251 000 people with HIV.
  • About 80% of South Africans have latent TB.
  • The WHO estimates 301 000 people fell ill with TB in SA in 2018.
  • According to the WHO, people living with HIV are 15-22 times more likely to develop TB.