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May 25, 20260 citationsOpen Access

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

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HCHuman Sciences Research Council

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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Cite This Study

Human Sciences Research Council (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a13e81d0e02ee3982d32d2fhttps://doi.org/10.14749/32379117
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Improving tuberculosis diagnosis in South Africa’s private sector: the results of a pilot public-private mix intervention in eThekwini health district2026
  2. 2Quality of care for tuberculosis and HIV in the private health sector: a cross-sectional, standardised patient study in South Africa2025
  3. 3Provider perspectives on empirical antibiotic treatment for tuberculosis-like symptoms in South Africa’s private general practice sector: a qualitative study in two cities2026
  4. 4Quality of TB diagnostic services at primary healthcare clinics in eThekwini district, South Africa2024 · 1 citations
  5. 5Prescribing practices for presumptive TB among private general practitioners in South Africa: a cross-sectional, standardized patient study2025