MAXIMISING TB PREVENTION THERAPY (TPT)

South Africa carries 3.3% of the world’s tuberculosis (TB) case burden. Despite the decline in TB deaths, TB remains a leading cause of death during in South Africa. The WHO estimated that 61 000 people died of TB in South Africa in 2020. TB is a major health problem for people living with HIV (PLHIV), with 60% of adult diagnosed with TB also living with HIV. TB preventive therapy (TPT) can reduce TB disease incidence. Despite the established efficacy of TB Preventive Therapy in reducing the incidence of TB disease, global scale up has been slow. Recent ART guidelines have expanded TPT eligibility criteria to include all people living with HIV without active TB.
However, the National Department of Health (NDoH)’s annual reports do not include eligible population segment (initiating ART, child contact) who also received TPT.