Tinaye Agere
Zimpapers Politics Hub
THE SADC region has recorded a decline in the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) incidences in the past six years.
The findings are contained in a SADC Brochure released after the recent 44th SADC Summit hosted by Zimbabwe.
“There has been a general downward trend in the tuberculosis (TB) incidence in the region during the period 2016-2022.
“Six countries, namely Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania, reduced TB incidence by 30 percentage points (to 47 percent). Two countries, DRC and Zimbabwe, reduced incidence marginally by 2 percent,” reads part of the brochure.
The regional bloc said despite the reduction observed in TB cases, during the Covid-19 period, there was a significant increase in the number of TB cases reported across member states in 2022.
The annual number of TB deaths in the region has been declining from 2016 to 2021 for 11 of the 16 member states.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter