ROYAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA NATIONAL SCHOOLS' ESSAY COMPETITION 2012

摘要

Jump to sectionTuberculosis: control through management, integration and motivationINTRODUCTIONSOCIO-ECONOMIC DETERMINANTSHIV AND TBDRUG RESISTANCEDIAGNOSISTREATMENT STRATEGIESSOUTH AFRICA'S PUBLIC HEALTHCARE SYSTEMCONCLUSIONGLOSSARYWhat science is most needed to improve the quality of life in Africa?Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis which initially affects the lungs but can spread to any other organ in the body through the circulatory system. TB causes excessive coughing, fever, weight loss, night sweats, fatigue, coughing up blood and can lead to death. TB is highly infectious if left untreated as the bacterium can be inhaled as tiny water droplets in the air. However only one in 10 people who are infected with this bacterium develop tuberculosis (Hartley, 20122. Hartley , B. 2012 . Interview with Clinical Medical Officer . Personal interview. 2 April 2012 .View all references). The bacterium can only become active when the immune system is weakened due to stress, lack of exercise, unhealthy diet or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), otherwise it will simply lie dormant in the body. Despite its danger, TB can be cured with a combination of drugs, including a variety of antibiotics, which are taken daily over a 6-month period.TB has been part of human history since 4000 BC and is one of the only epidemics to have spanned centuries. It was very prominent in Europe and America from the 18th century to the late 20th century. From the end of the 20th century and into the 21st, TB has all but disappeared in the developed world since the emergence of highly effective drugs, better immunity and a higher standard of living.However, in South Africa TB prevalence has increased dramatically since the mid-1990s and is now ranked as the 3rd most affected country in the world (SANAC, 20128. SANAC (South African National AIDS Council) 2012 . National Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and TB 2012a??2016 . Online: http://www.hst.org.za/sites/default/files/hiv_nsp.pdf (accessed 26 March 2012) .View all references). This corresponds directly with the sudden emergence of HIV, which has severely damaged the immune systems of much of the country's population (Figures 1 and 2). In 2010, approximately 60% of TB patients were also infected with HIV (World Health Organization, 201210. World Health Organization 2012 . South Africa: tuberculosis profile . Online: http://www.who.int/countries/zaf/en/ (accessed 9 April 2012) .View all references). Known to be a??the disease of povertya?? this epidemic is aggravated by cramped, unsanitary living conditions, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, lack of ventilation and a low standard of living: all of which are conditions rife in South Africa.View larger version(35K)