As South Africa marks World Pneumonia Day, the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s Tuberculosis (GPL) TB Caucus has raised concern over the continued loss of lives to preventable respiratory diseases.

Despite TB and pneumonia being preventable and treatable, thousands of people continue to die due to delayed diagnosis, limited access to healthcare, poverty, inadequate vaccination coverage and persistent inequalities.

The Caucus is calling for stronger prevention, early detection and treatment measures, particularly among vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.

The Gauteng TB Caucus is calling for wider screening and improved healthcare services to prevent deaths from pneumonia and tuberculosis among vulnerable communities, particularly those in informal settlements and mining areas.

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Gauteng Provincial Legislature TB Caucus chairperson Dr Bandile Masuku is urging residents to seek screening when they experience symptoms associated with TB, saying early detection is crucial.

“There’s a concern, and that is the reason we also call upon the citizens of Gauteng, when they recognise the symptoms that are known when you’ve got a very long-standing, chronic productive cough and you start to have night sweats, loss of appetite and loss of weight that you have to seek screening, because screening also helps a lot to detect TB, even when you don’t have any symptoms.”

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