MINE workers and prisoners have the highest risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB), but most local mining companies and prisoners have not disclosed their TB tests to the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) as expected after taking advantage of the country’s poor legal framework, NewsDay has learnt.
By Phyllis Mbanje
Delegates attending a meeting to review the prevalence of TB in mines yesterday heard that various mining companies had withheld statistics on the disease as the country does not have adequate legal provisions to enforce the requirement.
World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Zimbabwe, David Okello, said there are nine million known TB cases worldwide with three million others unaccounted for.
“There were approximately three million missed cases that have escaped the radar and these consist of special groups and settings like prisons and mines. The effects of this health crisis are broad and have far reaching effects,” Okello said.
Regionally, new TB cases from the mining sector represent one third of all new cases across sub-Saharan Africa.
Mine workers are at high risk of TB due to constant exposure to minerals such as silica which causes a degenerative lung disease called silicosis. While the problem was most severe in South Africa many Zimbabweans cross over into the country and are working at the mines.
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Speaking at the same event, director of the Aids and TB unit in the Ministry of Health, Owen Mugurungi said: “These people when infected with TB from these mines risk infecting their family, community and there is need for cross border collaboration to curb this problem.”
Despite the fact that TB among miners has been recognised by researchers and health workers as an issue of ‘urgent necessity’ for over a century, it has remained low on agenda.
Mine representatives admitted they had never reported any TB cases to NSSA, but they had captured cases within their mines. Hwange Colliery Mine revealed that it dealt with 1 086 cases last year and since beginning of this year has recorded 486 cases.
