How to end TB: Teach it at school

Tuberculosis (TB) prevention is a major global health focus. Yet, worldwide, including in South Africa, people face barriers to TB health services, including education on the disease, testing, and diagnostics.

Thanks to the Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) TB education program, Bhekumuzi Nzuza, an educator in rural Eshowe, South Africa, was able to identify a friend's TB symptoms and guide him and his family to proper treatment. Based on a successful HIV program that MSF first implemented in South African schools a decade ago, MSF developed a TB education curriculum for rural schools in KwaZulu-Natal province.

The program empowers educators and learners to become TB advocates, not only in schools, but also their communities where there is a lot of stigma and misinformation. The program has been rolled out in 22 high schools in the villages of Eshowe and Mbongolwane, reaching thousands of learners to date.