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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Health Reporter

Public health experts have warned that tuberculosis (TB) is likely to regain the top spot as the leading killer disease following the success by many African Governments in managing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Africa Union Development Agency (AUDA –NEPAD) TB specialist Dr Charles Sandy said over the past two years, attention had shifted to managing and preventing Covid-19 at the expense of all other diseases.

“In 2020 TB was displaced from the top spot by Covid-19 but the fact that we have managed to resolve to a large extent the threat of the pandemic and the deaths have come down, it means that in 2021 we are likely to see TB again regaining the top spot as the leading killer, which is a big concern. Covid-19 came just yesterday and we have already managed to deal with the young boy but TB has been with us for centuries yet we are still struggling with it. The reason why we still have TB among us is one of the reasons why we should reflect on how we are doing our work as scientists, policy makers and the media fraternity,” he said.

Dr Sandy said although the numbers showed a decline in TB cases between 2020 and 2021, the decrease was not a result of interventions by governments but lack of access to health services which led to many cases going unidentified.