By Odwa Bafana Mkentane
Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of South Africa’s leading infectious diseases, causing thousands of illnesses and deaths each year. Researchers are now making significant progress toward developing a new TB vaccine that could transform prevention efforts. The vaccine has entered Phase 3 clinical trials, the final stage before possible approval. Early results show it can reduce TB cases by about 50%, offering hope for millions of people at risk. If successful, the vaccine could become available by 2028–2029 and mark a major breakthrough in the global fight against TB.
Speaking to VocFM, Deputy Director General for HIV/AIDS & TB at National Health Department, Dr Nonhlanhla Ndlovu says over 20,000 people are participating at the phase three clinical trials and this is the final phase where they determine the efficiency and the effectiveness in terms of people that are taking the vaccine.
“It prevented TB on adolescent and adult at 50 percent. So we are now on the last phase, which is critical because this is the phase that if everything goes well, by 28, 29, we should be having the vaccine for everybody. It’s a significant prevention because it’s a prevention tool. So, if we can prevent half of the TB, it will really go a long way. I think if you look in South Africa, we have reduced the incidence, which are new infections, by over 50 percent. But still look at the numbers of people that are still getting TB that are dying,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu added that having this vaccine, economically, it is a massive win.
“I don’t think people often realize how much these costs in terms of state money and in terms of treatment, because a lot of tuberculosis sufferers are poor people who aren’t going to be going to private hospitals. For example, they are going to go through the governmental health system,” she said.
Photo: Pixabay
