SA researchers make major breakthrough in TB treatment

Recently, South Africa has made an incredible breakthrough in the treatment of drug resistant TB. Patients will now be able to take significantly fewer pills in a much shorter space of time to fight this illness.

JOHANNESBURG – Long before COVID-19 was an issue, South Africa was battling with another respiratory disease - tuberculosis (TB).

This disease has been a challenge around the world, especially with the emergence of drug-resistant TB, which accounts for around half a million of the world's annual 10 million cases.

Recently, South Africa has made an incredible breakthrough in the treatment of drug-resistant TB. Patients will now be able to take significantly fewer pills in a much shorter space of time to fight this illness.

John Perlman spoke to Dr Francesca Conradie, an infectious diseases researcher in the School of Clinical Medicine at Wits, about this new development in treatment.

According to Dr Conradie, this treatment will not only benefit South Africans but will also have global benefits as it has been endorsed by the World Health Organization.

With this new development, the number of drugs or pills that the patient has to take will be reduced from 23 per day to 23 per week and the treatment time has gone from 18 months to six months.

Listen to the audio for more.

This article first appeared on EWN : SA researchers make major breakthrough in TB treatment

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