Tuberculosis destroys the lungs and causes death as a person finds it difficult to breathe.
It is spread by coughing and sneezing and people who are suffering from TB can infect others - which is why curing them is so important. Matsha said tuberculosis killed more women than all the combined causes of maternal mortality. She said about half of the country is already covered by Dots. Our biggest challenge is to get patients to finish their treatment. Matji said patients tended to take TB treatment for two months and then stop, because they feel better and their weight improves.