World Bank gives $122m to fight tuberculosis in southern Africa

Tuberculosis patients at a hospital. The World Bank will disburse $122 million to four southern African nations to fight tuberculosis. PHOTO | RACHEL MABALA  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By MICHAEL CHAWE

In Summary

• Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are expected to benefit after the international lender’s board approved the funding in effort to boost the countries health systems’ response to the disease

The World Bank will disburse $122 million to four southern African nations to fight tuberculosis (TB).

Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are expected to benefit after the international lender’s board approved the funding in effort to boost the countries health systems’ response to the disease.

“The Southern Africa tuberculosis and health system support project will target mining communities, regions with high burdens of TB or HIV/Aids, transport corridors and cross-border areas of the four target countries," World Bank said in a statement.

Accounting for a third of the world's 22 countries with highest TB burdens, southern Africa is at the epicentre of the dual epidemic of TB and HIV/Aids, said the Bank.

It said Zambia, Lesotho, Malawi and Mozambique were no exception with high levels of TB/HIV co-infections and related mortality as well as increased risk of multidrug-resistant TB against a background of large-scale or growing mining sectors which is a contributor to this health challenge.