Health issues top
agenda
MEC for
Health - Peggy
Nonkonyeni
Dave
Savides
‘THE KZN
government needs the
help of the private
sector to fight
serious TB
challenges in the
province’, says MEC
for Health - Peggy
Nonkonyeni.
Speaking at a Ticor
SA function at
eSikhawini on
Tuesday, the
minister said the
uThungulu District
was one of four that
raised ‘great
concern’ due to the
high prevalence of
TB.
‘While new strains
of TB are curable,
they can also be
fatal and we see too
many patients
stopping their
treatment because of
poverty,’ said
Nonkonyeni.
‘We need to provide
them with
nutritional support
packs for six months
- as we do those
many who are
suffering from
HIV/AIDS.
‘We look to
companies such as
Ticor SA to assist.’
The minister spoke
strongly against
rampant HIV/AIDS and
called for
abstinence and
faithfulness.
‘In two weeks we
commemorate
International World
AIDS Day.
‘My message is:
‘Your health is in
your hands and your
life is in your
hands’.’
Local status
Meanwhile the
Zululand Observer
has received
response from a
leading medical
official on the
status of multi-drug
resistant TB
(MDR-TB) and
extremely drug
resistant TB
(XDR-TB) in the
area.
According to Dr S
Zungu - Senior
General Manager in
the Department of
Health, the matter
is being handled at
a regional (SADEC)
and international
level.
Following a recent
two-day meeting in
Johannesburg, Zungu
said the first
priority was to
strengthen the
control programme
for ordinary TB.
‘At the same time we
must increase our
laboratory capacity,
conduct rapid
surveys of XDR-TB
and implement
infection control
precautions,’ said
Zungu.
He acknowledged that
Zululand areas have
a high incidence of
TB which is
impacting on
families, the
economic sector and
the Department’s
resources in
managing the
workload.
He said staffing and
vehicles were
critical and that a
crisis plan would
address these
issues.
According to Zungu,
16 XDR-TB cases were
picked up in the
Zululand area and
all were referred to
King George V
Hospital in Durban.
He said there was no
significant rise in
MDR-TB and that all
MDR- and XDR-TB
patients were
separated from other
patients as a form
of quarantine.
