Support the wellbeing of children with HIV in SA

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect lungs. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable. TB is spread from person to person through the air.When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected. About one third of the world's population has latent TB, which means people have been infected by TB bacteria but not (yet) ill with the disease and cannot transmit the disease. Poeple infected with TB bacteria have a 10% lifetime risk of falling ill with TB. However, persons with compromised immune systems, such as people living with HIV, malnutririon or diabetes, or people who use tobacco, have a much higher risk of falling ill.

In commemoration of the upcoming World TB Day Awareness dated 24 March 2016; Children's Rights Centre in partnership with Yezingane Network( Secretariat of children's sector) will share on its social media informative TB fact sheet informing and reminding people about the risk of TB and how it can be treated. As it has been identified in previous reports that tuberculosis mostly affected young adults in their most productive years and South Africa being one of the countries with the highest berden, we need to do everything in our capacity to ensure that messages of awareness are being sent out!

According to UNICEF without preventative interventions,approximately one-third of infants born to HIV-positive mothers contract HIV through mother-to-child transmission, becoming infected during their mothers' pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding.

This is why we try by all means at any given opportunity to promote and remind all women about the benefits of breastfeeding.

PS. Breastfeeding benefits are the same for HIV positive or negative women!

“Find TB. Treat TB. Working together to eliminate TB”.