By Gabi Khumalo
Johannesburg - Africa urgently needs to develop and implement region-wide strategies to combat Tuberculosis, given the sobering fact that it is the only continent unlikely to achieve the MDG target of halving TB related deaths by the end of 2015.
The call came from Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who addressed a TB in the Mining Sector Regional Ministerial Meeting at the Sandton Convention Centre on Tuesday. The meeting was held a day after World TB Day on 24 March.
The Deputy President said the importance of looking at TB in the mining sector could not be understated, as it was not just a health issue but it cut across economic, labour and development issues.
It is estimated that the country's gold mining sector has the highest number of new TB cases annually in the world. Dr Patrick Osewe, the lead health specialist for the Southern Africa region of the World Bank, said that at 2 500 – 3 000 cases for every 100 000 people, TB incidence among mineworkers in South Africa was the highest among any working population in the world.
Sixty percent of mine workers come from South Africa, most of them from the Eastern Cape.
“It’s one [issue] that requires a collective, co-ordinated approach – especially given the fact that mining contributes significantly to development on the continent.
“Today, Africa mines or quarries 60 mineral products and mining contributes about 20% of Africa’s economic activity,” the Deputy President said.
The meeting, which brings together ministers responsible for health, energy, labour, finance and natural resources and minerals in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, sought to come up with ways of dealing with the issue of TB on this level.
A framework for better coordinated management of TB in the mining sector, focusing on treatment protocols, diagnostics and referral linkages, is also expected to be adopted after the meeting.
The meeting is further expected to provide the preliminary economic costs and benefits of investing in TB in the mines and affected communities.
TB ripple effect
Deputy President Motlanthe said TB contracted in and around the mining sector, but treated in public health facilities ,placed a huge burden on the national health systems of the affected countries and undermined public health efforts.
He said although the Declaration on TB in the Mining Sector, signed by SADC Heads of State, focused largely on the health aspects of TB in the mining sector, there was a clear recognition of the fact that TB was more than a just a health matter, especially for southern Africa.
“While the SADC Declaration on TB in the Mining Sector provides a scaffold for the agreements that need to be reached, our task today is to ‘put meat on the bones’ so that we can accelerate regional implementation.”
Dr Osewe said South African mines had the highest number of new TB infection due to silicosis, resulting from exposure to dust in mine shafts.
“Some of the causes for high TB infection in the mines are accommodation and work in a poorly ventilated environment and poor access to routine health services,” he said.
Mitigating TB
In South Africa, mineral exports represent 7.7% of the GDP. In Lesotho, mining and quarrying are about 5% of the GDP.
A study commissioned by the World Bank on the economics of TB prevention and control in four countries - including South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique - the cost of testing and treating all mineworkers in these countries is about R330 million a year.
The sector recommended a universal TB diagnosis and treatment for all mine workers and affected communities.
It also recommended improved living and work conditions to reduce the risk of dust exposure and occupational lung diseases. It also recommended a setup of cross-border tracking and referral system to reach all former mine workers.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi recommended a common treatment protocol all over SADC, which the miners must also know.
He said that one of the outcomes expected during the meeting is the setting up of a common database, which will include information such as patient names, addresses and contact details. - SAnews.gov.za
