New funding for South African grants will target key populations
$55 million in TB funds will be added to an existing HIV grant
South Africa has a generalised HIV and AIDS epidemic, with a 17% prevalence rate among 15 to 49 year-olds and the highest number of persons living with HIV in the world (estimated at 6.4 million). The epidemic is compounded by the high rate of TB/HIV co-infection: About 60% of TB patients are infected with HIV (one of the highest rates in the world).
South Africa has a very high TB burden with 1% of the population developing TB disease annually, as well as high rates of TB/HIV co-infection and multiple-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). South Africa’s TB prevalence and incidence rates rank second and first, respectively, in the world. With an estimated 13,000 cases of MDR-TB, South Africa has the highest burden of drug resistant TB in Africa.
Source: Aidspan
