06 Apr 2026

Tuberculosis-related deaths have remained relatively high over the two years under review, with a mortality rate of 7.5 per cent in 2025 compared to eight per cent in 2024. 

Responding to a question in Parliament recently on behalf of the Minister of Health, Assistant Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Mr Augustine Nyatanga, indicated that the majority of TB deaths occurred among those co-infected with TB/HIV. 

Mr Nyatanga, however told Parliament that the health ministry remained committed to rigorous surveillance, patient safety and the provision of effective and quality-assured TB treatment. He also acknowledged the subsequent withdrawal of a batch of TB medicines that had been supplied and administered starting around mid-2025.

 However, he stated that there was currently no evidence of direct causal link between the affected medication and the TB-related mortality rates. 

He noted that 1 201 out of 2 868 patients or 42 per cent, received the affected medication during the period in question. 

“Through routine surveillance and treatment outcome monitoring, the National TB Programme recorded a marked increase in treatment failure rates,” Mr Nyatanga said.

 He added that to date, 1 113 patients or about 93 per cent, had been reassessed and contact screening had been undertaken and patients requiring treatment had been re-initiated on correct regimens. 

“Upon identification of concerns regarding the efficacy of the medicines, government instituted immediate corrective measures. These included the withdrawal of the affected medicines from all health facilities, the nationwide distribution of WHO-prequalified medicines, the recall of affected patients for clinical reassessment and a review of individual treatment histories to guide management based on exposure duration,” he explained. 

Again, he said special arrangements were currently in place, including intensified clinical follow-up, enhanced laboratory monitoring, continued specimen collection for drug-resistance testing and prioritised management for any patients diagnosed with Drug-Resistant TB (DR-TB). 

“Should any patient be confirmed to have DR-TB, they will be promptly commenced on the appropriate second-line treatment regimen in accordance with national policy and World Health Organisation guidelines,” he said. 

MP for Tati East, Mr Tlhabologo Furniture, had asked the minister if he was aware of the TB patients administered medication with suspected reduced efficacy from mid-2025 until its withdrawal in late November 2025. Mr Furniture also requested for the number of patients affected and inquired whether any patients had lost their lives during the period the medication was in circulation. end