Health and Wellness
What is the prevalence of tuberculosis in the Western Cape in relation to the statistics for (a) adult cases and (b) childhood cases?
Number of clients diagnosed with TB | Population estimate 2024-2025 per age category (under 5 and 5 years and older) | Number of confirmed TB cases per 100 000 population for 2024-2025 | |
(a) DS-TB diagnosed/ confirmed 5 years and older | 40021 | 7 011 960 | 571 |
(b) DS-TB diagnosed/ confirmed under 5 years | 3181 | 581520 | 547 |
In 2024-25 there were 40021 cases of TB diagnosed for clients 5 years and older within a population estimate of 7 011 960. This translates to 571 TB cases diagnosed per 100 000 population, in 2024-25, for clients 5 years and older.
Similarly, there were 3181 cases confirmed during the same period, for clients under 5 years old. The under 5 population in the Western Cape in 2024-25 was estimated to be 581 520, meaning that the number of cases diagnosed per 100 000 population for clients under 5 was less than those over 5, at 547 cases per 100 000 population.
The above needs to be interpreted within context with the following caveats:
- accuracy of population denominators which are estimated from demographic models
- we only know about cases that we identify in the public health services which is dependent on people accessing services and us providing testing or diagnosis. Cases entirely identified and treated in the private sector would not be included
- It is much harder to diagnose TB in children as they often have very few bacilli and difficult for them to produce specimens so may not be tested or TB not identified in a specimen despite them having TB.
- There may have been a reduction in TB diagnosis and testing due to the impact of the NHLS cyber-attack on provision of laboratory testing during June-July 2024.
