This country is one of six nations that accounted for 60% of the world’s new TB cases, according to the World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis Report.
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) agreed and said TB was the new struggle that needed to be won, after winning the fight for access to HIV/Aids medication.
TAC deputy general secretary Vuyokazi Gonyela said the epidemic needed to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
“We need more advocacy. TB is another crisis we need to strongly address. What we did with the HIV pandemic We need to do the same with TB, because it is getting out of hand.”
More interventions were needed and pharmaceutical companies have to come on board and drop their prices for medication, she said.
“The elderly and people living with HIV are the most affected," she added.