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21 600 Zimbabweans diagnosed with TB in 2025
16 hrs ago |
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About 21 600 people in Zimbabwe were diagnosed with tuberculosis in 2025, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (Zimbabwe), highlighting that the infectious disease remains a major public health concern despite notable progress in recent years.
Health authorities say the country has made significant strides in tackling the disease, including being removed from the World Health Organization list of the 30 high tuberculosis burden countries - a milestone viewed as a major achievement in Zimbabwe's public health efforts.
However, officials caution that several challenges continue to threaten the gains made in the fight against the disease.
These include delayed health-seeking behaviour among patients, persistent stigma associated with the illness, treatment interruption and declining global funding for tuberculosis programmes.
Zimbabwe is set to mark World TB Day on March 24 under the theme "Yes! We can end TB!", part of a global campaign aimed at accelerating efforts to eliminate the disease.
As part of preparations for the commemorations, the Ministry of Health and its partners - including the National AIDS Council (Zimbabwe) and the Zimbabwe National Network of TB Survivors - recently held a pre-commemoration event at Parirewa High School.
Speaking during the event, the ministry's deputy director for the National TB and Leprosy Programme, Fungai Kavenga, said ending tuberculosis requires collective national responsibility.
He said traditional leaders, community members and health workers play a crucial role in mobilising communities, addressing stigma and encouraging people to seek early testing and treatment.
Health officials say tuberculosis, an airborne disease that primarily affects the lungs, can be cured if it is diagnosed early and patients adhere to the full course of treatment.
Health authorities say the country has made significant strides in tackling the disease, including being removed from the World Health Organization list of the 30 high tuberculosis burden countries - a milestone viewed as a major achievement in Zimbabwe's public health efforts.
However, officials caution that several challenges continue to threaten the gains made in the fight against the disease.
These include delayed health-seeking behaviour among patients, persistent stigma associated with the illness, treatment interruption and declining global funding for tuberculosis programmes.
As part of preparations for the commemorations, the Ministry of Health and its partners - including the National AIDS Council (Zimbabwe) and the Zimbabwe National Network of TB Survivors - recently held a pre-commemoration event at Parirewa High School.
Speaking during the event, the ministry's deputy director for the National TB and Leprosy Programme, Fungai Kavenga, said ending tuberculosis requires collective national responsibility.
He said traditional leaders, community members and health workers play a crucial role in mobilising communities, addressing stigma and encouraging people to seek early testing and treatment.
Health officials say tuberculosis, an airborne disease that primarily affects the lungs, can be cured if it is diagnosed early and patients adhere to the full course of treatment.
Source - The Herald
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