Tuberculosis in Southern Africa’s mines is running rampant. Mine workers in the region have the highest rates of TB in the world and an estimated 760,000 cases worldwide are linked back to mining activities. A combination of social, physical and biological factors are working together to create a ‘perfect storm’ of disease that leaves miners acutely at risk of contracting TB. Despite the dangers of mine work, widespread poverty in the region means a job in the industry is the only available option for thousands of men.
Currently, the healthcare provision for men who fall ill is dangerously inadequate. One major problem is a lack of diagnosis; men on short term contracts often leave for neighbouring countries before falling ill; many rural areas have inadequate or non-existent healthcare services. TB REACH is an innovative TB case finding organisation that work to find, diagnose and treat people living in hard to reach, isolated communities. The kind of communities many miners hail from.
Materials included this month:
- Action sheet: Stopping TB using TB REACH; Saving live in Southern Africa’s Mining Communities
- Background sheet 1: TB and Mining; local issue, global impact
- Background sheet 2: TB REACH
- Easy Learning Exercise
GROUP MEETINGS FOR TELEPHONE CONFERENCE: 6th November 2012, 8pm
Guest: Joel Spicer, Senior Strategist, Stop TB Partnership
This month there are groups meeting to join the conference call in: Central London, West London, South London, Poole, the Stort Valley, Birmingham, Oxford, Macclesfield, Central Sheffield, South Sheffield, Leicester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Norwich, Leamington Spa, Belfast, Reading, Bristol, Newcastle and Linlithgow. If you would like information on the location of your local group, please get in touch with us in the office at: felix.jakens@results.org.uk
If you would like to join the conference call there are 3 numbers you can call – 0844 762 0762, 0203 398 1398 or 0800 2290 900. You must then enter the participant code, which is 18723. If you would like advice about which number to call please contact us in the office.
