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Assessing the quality of tuberculosis care is critical for reducing mortality in South Africa.

May 25, 2026Open Access

Letter to the editor: Why we need to evaluate the quality of tuberculosis care in South Africa's private health sector

Key Points

Assessing the quality of tuberculosis care is critical for reducing mortality in South Africa.
Reviewed current TB care pathways in the public and private sectors.
Analyzed rates of successful navigation of TB care among patients with drug-susceptible and rifampicin-resistant TB.
Only 50% of patients with drug-susceptible TB successfully navigate care pathways.
22% of patients with rifampicin-resistant TB successfully navigate care pathways.
29% of patients with TB symptoms seek help first from the private sector.

Abstract

Poor-quality tuberculosis (TB) care is now a larger barrier to reducing mortality than poor access. South Africa (SA) has one of the highest TB burdens globally. Despite ongoing efforts to improve access to testing and treatment in primary care settings, only half of South Africans with drug-susceptible TB and 22% with rifampicin-resistant TB successfully navigate TB care pathways in the public sector. Furthermore, a recent study showed that 29% of South Africans with TB symptoms first report to the private sector.

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