Poverty Leads to High TB Defaulter Rate

from All Africa

BuaNews (Tshwane)

By Gabi Khumalo
Durban

Poverty is among the main reasons for the high treatment defaulter rate among Tuberculosis (TB) patients.

Speaking to BuaNews during the South African TB Conference, currently underway in Durban, TB Free Advocacy Communication and Social Mobilisation Manager, Leko Nkabinde said due to poverty, most people were surviving on social grants they received for their illnesses.

They however deliberately neglected to take their TB treatment as required so that they could continue to receive the grant.

"Poverty levels are so high and some people do not want to be cured in order to continue receiving the grant.

"You find a person continuing to drink alcohol knowing that you can't consume it whilst on medication," said Ms Nkabinde.

She said there was a need for intensive treatment counselling for patients to understand the importance of completing their medication.

They do not take their treatment seriously and as soon as they feel better after two months, they stop taking the medication thinking that they have been cured, Ms Nkabinde told BuaNews.

TB Free is an organisation that was formed in 2004, to increase TB treatment compliance through training of Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) support in the country.

"Our goal is to ensure that every man, woman and child knows that TB can be cured and knows where to go for help."

The organisation, which operates in nine provinces, works with the Department of Health to train people from clinics.

After training, the trainees are sent back to the clinics and are then deployed to the communities to provide DOT support to patients.

The organisation also visits schools spreading TB messages to learners so that they become foot soldiers.

"Our aim is to increase the TB cure rate by 10 percent and the defaulter rate by 10 percent," said Ms Nkabinde.

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