World TB Day: University of Pretoria unveils detection game-changer
Chief Scientific Advisor at MARTI TB Diagnostics and an emeritus professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology at the University of Pretoria, Jan Verschoor, said quick early diagnosis of Tuberculosis (TB) is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a priority.
On Tuesday, the United Nations commemorated World TB Day with the focus on the estimated 1.2 million people who die every year of this centuries-old disease.
According to Our World in Data, a non-profit organisation that is dedicated to publishing the ”research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems," TB is still one of the most common causes of death globally.
Verschoor said globally approximately 10% of infected people with TB die; in South Africa, this rate stands at 20%.
He said this indicates that the diagnosis process is an area that has to be improved.