Tackling Tuberculosis in Southern Africa’s Mineworkers with an Innovative Approach

Friday, March 24, 2017

The first time Godfrey Tolang, a mineworker in South Africa, was infected with tuberculosis (TB) was December 2010. He started to feel unwell and decided to go home to Lesotho. He says the mine’s fine dust and extreme heat combined with long workdays made working a challenge. There, he was diagnosed with TB, got treated and then returned to work with his medical record.

But even though Tolang successfully completed his treatment, he says he was infected with TB again in less than two years.

Tolang’s situation reflects some of the challenges facing mineworkers that the Southern Africa TB in the Mining Sector Initiative is trying to tackle. This regional initiative, which began in 2010, is working to combat the TB epidemic in Southern Africa’s mining sector, a key driver of economic growth in the region, including in countries such as South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, and Mozambique.

As many recognize World TB Day, March 24, this initiative shows how an innovative and a more harmonized regional approach can result in more effective TB management in the mining sector.

Source: MilTech (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care
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healthcare technology, infectious diseases, partnerships