Mining companies owe R1.5 billion to workers who developed occupational illnesses like silicosis while on the job, according to Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.

More than 40,000 prisoners have been screened for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) this year as government attempts to tackle TB in correctional facilities.

Mpumalanga patients with drug-resistant TB say health workers at specialist TB hospitals in Standerton and Barberton keep them in the dark about their diagnosis and treatment.

According to the District Health Barometer, TB and HIV are still the main causes of death. But the Barometer reveals that some districts have shown great improvements in tackling these diseases.