Tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and curable disease. Half of the world’s 30 highest TB burden countries are in Africa. In many of these countries, TB is the leading cause of death across age groups, but especially among children. Globally, TB is the leading cause of death by any single infectious agent (above COVID-19 and HIV).
The people most affected by TB are often the most socio-economically marginalised, with the fewest reserves to take them through the treatment journey. This is extremely challenging, with complex, often delayed diagnosis, many months of treatment, and often long-term effects after treatment. The Conversation Africa’s Ina Skosana spoke to Graeme Hoddinott, a socio-behavioural science lead at the Desmond Tutu TB Centre, Stellenbosch University, and an African Academy of Sciences ARISE Fellow.
