Swaziland’s Lubombo District Records Two New Cases of MDR-TB
Two people in Swaziland's Lubombo district were diagnosed with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis at a local clinic between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1, the Times of Swaziland reports. According to the Times of Swaziland, the two cases were the only MDR-TB cases reported nationwide during the time period.
A nurse from Mpolonjeni Clinic, where the two patients were diagnosed, said the clinic has been providing treatment for several people with MDR-TB but that it is unclear why the two MDR-TB cases occurred in Lubombo district rather than in another area of the country. The unidentified nurse added that many people with MDR-TB do not adhere to their treatment regimens properly and are unable to travel to the clinic frequently or afford medication. She added that the clinic has not diagnosed any cases of extensively drug-resistant TB.
According to the TB Alliance, MDR-TB is about 100 times more expensive to treat than drug-sensitive TB (Magongo, Times of Swaziland, 2/22).
