Tuberculosis continues to haunt South Africa despite decades of treatment advances, with health experts warning that the disease is thriving in the same conditions that have fuelled poverty, overcrowding and unequal access to healthcare on a sustained basis in the country.
The warning comes as global tuberculosis statistics revealed that 10.7 million people fell ill with TB during 2024, while 1.5 million people died from the disease, making it the worlds deadliest infectious killer. South Africa remains among the countries hardest hit by TB, particularly because of the close relationship between tuberculosis, HIV infection and vulnerable living conditions.
Dr Avron Urison , chief medical officer at 1Life Insurance, said the continued spread of TB could not be blamed on a lack of medicine.
