South Africa 'anxious' about TB

Officials in South Africa are struggling to tackle tuberculosis (TB), it has been suggested.

Molefi Sefularo, the country's deputy health minister, commented that the nation is "anxious and concerned" about the current situation.

He explained that cases of TB have increased by nearly three times during the last decade.

Mr Sefularo said that this puts South Africa as one of the ten worst performing countries when it comes to TB control.

He added: "We are in danger of not meeting our Millennium Development Goals as a result of these poor outcomes."

The health minister also suggested that more action is needed, with programme managers required to draw up plans to help tackle the situation.

Earlier this month, scientists from the University of Illinois and Cornell University said that they had identified an enzyme that could be important in the fight against TB.

They suggested that neutralising this enzyme could reduce the effects of the disease.

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