5th November 2024
ASSAf annually awards ASSAf Science-for-Society Gold Medals for outstanding achievement in scientific thinking to the benefit of society.
5th November 2024
Assoc Prof Ali Esmail, Head of the CLII Clinical Trials Unit, won Best Publication Clinical Sciences (Early Career) 2024. Click on the link to read all […]
5th November 2024
Prof K Dheda was an award recipient in the 2024 National Research Foundation Awards.
18th December 2023
Growing up in India, which for decades has clocked millions of tuberculosis cases each year, Lalita Ramakrishnan was intimately familiar with how devastating the disease can be. The world’s greatest infectious killer, rivaled only by SARS-CoV-2, Mycobacterium tuberculosis spreads through the air and infiltrates the airways, in many cases destroying the lungs.
28th November 2023
One reason why so much TB and HIV research can be done in South Africa is quite simply that we have large epidemics of both diseases here. Around 13% of South Africa’s population are living with HIV.
17th November 2023
“Almost a third of newly ill patients with TB globally remain undetected or undiagnosed,” Dr. Keertan Dheda, professor of TB research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, wrote to The Epoch Times. This can be due to poor diagnostic techniques and difficulty accessing care.
19th October 2023
Together with Prof. Dr. Keertan Dheda from the University of Cape Town, clinical scientists from the Research Center Borstel are investigating the impact of tNGS technology on the treatment outcomes of patients with MDR-TB in a clinical trial in South Africa.
7th July 2023
Many South Africans are
suffering from debilitating
symptoms long after
contracting the virus, a
condition not well
understood by the public or
health professionals, who
are searching for answers,
writes Claire Keeton
18th March 2023
The study by the US National Institute of Health and the South African Medical Research Council embarked on a case finding of undiagnosed TB in Mitchells Plain and Klipfontein in Cape Town.
Ntsika Majiba from The Argus recently caught up with the researchers for an interview.
11th March 2023
The fight against TB continues.
And health professionals are making strides in monitoring and identifying new cases.
A study conducted in Mitchell’s Plain and Klipfontein utilises a low-cost scalable mobile mini-clinic, operated by two health care workers. The clinics portable battery-operated DNA-based diagnostics tools are used to identify or track active. This replaces the older smear-microscopy diagnostic methodology.
Professor Keertan Dheda from the University of Cape Town and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine joins me now live to tell us more about this.
9th March 2023
“Rapid treatment initiation remains the most effective way of rendering patients non-infectious. Thus, the XACT case finding strategy could be linked to new advances in TB treatment characterised by shortening of treatment regimens for both drug-sensitive and resistant TB”, said Dheda, PI.
3rd March 2023
Congress of the South African Thoracic Society
10 - 13 August 2023 at the Durban ICC.
Click the link for details.
27th January 2023
According to the World Health Organization, of the roughly 10 million people who fall ill with TB annually, over 80% survive.
Unfortunately, as with long Covid, being cured of TB is not always the last hurdle and many people go on to struggle with post-TB lung disease.
Tiyese Jeranji asked local experts about this sometimes-neglected area of TB care.
24th January 2023
In 2022, many authors bring new findings, practical information on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to thoracic disease to our journal. Their articles published with us have received very well feedback in the field and stimulate a lot of discussions and new insights among the peers.
Hereby, we would like to highlight some of our outstanding authors who have been making immense efforts in their research fields, with a brief interview of their unique perspectives and insightful views as authors.
3rd November 2022
A South African public health expert has called on authorities to increase efforts to find tuberculosis (TB) cases instead of waiting for patients to arrive at clinics when they are already at risk of dying.
Sipokazi Fokazi from Times Live reports.
27th October 2022
Covid-19 set back the battle against tuberculosis. But it also points the way forward.
Read more in The Economist.
25th October 2022
Our podcast on science and technology. This week, we examine why the pandemic shattered global efforts to control tuberculosis, and ask whether innovations from the covid era could turn the tide against the disease.
Podcasts | Babbage - The Economist
19th October 2022
Prof. Keertan Dheda - Director of the Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity at the University of Cape Town - was recently a guest on SAfm, The Talking Point.
27th September 2022
5th September 2022
TB experts elated as new drug cocktail cuts therapy and reduces side effects
Drug-resistant TB remains a public health threat in SA with a cure rate of just more than 50% for MDR and 27% for XDR.
13th June 2022
HIV has seen large increases in TB cases in the last few decades. Watch UCT's head of Pulmonology and Respiratory Services, Professor Keertan Dheda discuss this with eNCA's Gareth Edwards. Courtesy of #DStv403
29th April 2022
UCT Lung Institute in partnership with Novartis and the Department of Health launched a ‘lab-in-a-cab’ mobile TB clinic
30th March 2022
Professor Keertan Dheda, head of the University of Cape Town’s Division of Pulmonology, and of Respiratory Services speaks to Spotlight
26th March 2022
There was a significant reduction in tuberculosis (TB) testing and case detection across South Africa in the past two years
26th March 2022
TB is still a major problem in South Africa, mostly in the third world, but it can be cured, provided you get treatment
24th March 2022
World TB Day is commemorated on March 24 to build the fight toward ending the global epidemic of TB
24th March 2022
Watch this special programme featuring TB champions and medical specialists on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day, 24 March
24th March 2022
A recently published study by academics from the University of Cape Town (UCT) has signaled a paradigm shift in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis
24th March 2022
24th March 2022
Tuberculosis has killed more than 1.5 million people globally and South Africa saw 61 000 deaths in 2020
23rd March 2022
The global tuberculosis burden remains substantial, with more than 10 million people newly ill per year
22nd March 2022
In many African countries, there were more deaths from tuberculosis than from COVID-19
27th October 2021
SPOTLIGHT | 27th October 2021 | Tiyese Jeranji The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over four million of the almost ten million people who fell […]
13th August 2021
Friday, June 4, 2021 – 15:55 SAMRC Cape Town | A study funded by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) has revealed that a novel […]
15th July 2021
TimesLive | Sunday Times | Sipokazi Fokazi | 15 July 2021 – 16:59 New three-drug regimen cuts treatment of drug-resistant TB down to six months, while […]
24th June 2021
10th June 2021
UCT News | 10 June 2021 | Byline Linda-Gail Bekker, Glenda Gray, Ameena Goga, Nigel Garrett, Lara Fairall, Ian Sanne, Fatima Mayat, Jacquee Odhiambo, Simba Tavuka. […]
8th June 2021
8 June 2021 | Issue 59 There is a Setswana proverb that goes Motho ke Motho ka batho. In isiZulu, it goes umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. As we commemorated […]
19th May 2021
UCT News | 19 May 2021 | Niémah Davids The ground-breaking XACT Model project, which seeks to advance community-based active case finding (ACF) of tuberculosis (TB) […]
17th May 2021
17 May 2021 | Story Niémah Davids. Read time 7 min. The ground-breaking XACT Model project, which seeks to advance community-based active case finding (ACF) of tuberculosis (TB) […]
29th April 2021
spotlight – 29th April 2021 | Tiyese Jeranji South Africa’s first National TB Prevalence Survey (findings of which were published earlier this year) found that in […]
14th April 2021
spotlight – 14th April 2021 | Tiyese Jeranji After various delays and setbacks, new, less toxic, short-course tuberculosis (TB) prevention therapy is finally being launched in […]
12th April 2021
Sunday Times DAILY – Tanya Farber – 12 April 2021 – 19:45 Relax when outdoors, say experts, with Irish analysis revealing that only one in 1,000 […]
28th March 2021
eNCA – Mar 28, 2021 COVID-19 has sidelined the testing and treatment for other infectious diseases like Tubercolosis. Health experts fear the focus on COVID-19 may […]
26th March 2021
YAHOO NEWS – REUTERS – Wendell Roelf – Fri, March 26, 2021, 6:03 PM CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Parked on the roadside next to a graveyard […]
25th March 2021
Times LIVE – Sipokazi Fokazi – 25 March 2021 – 08:00 The year 2020 has become synonymous with Covid-19, but a new report by the WHO […]
24th March 2021
eNCA – 24 Mar 2021 Professor Keertan Dheda, Head of the Division of Pulmonology at UCT, spoke with eNCA’s Dan Moyane. Courtesy of #DStv403 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmg2Dz9TJQo
24th March 2021
Are efforts to contain COVID-19 jeopardising our chances of ending the TB crisis? T-SPOT.TB – 24 March 2021 While the coronavirus itself may be a global […]
4th March 2021
04 March 2021 | Story Niémah Davids. Read time 6 min. The lungs are one of the organs hardest hit by COVID-19, and in some cases the […]
15th February 2021
Sunday Times Daily – Claire Keeton – 15 February 2021 – 20:28 This feels like an unexpected bonus of being a volunteer South Africans on the […]
10th February 2021
CHANNEL AFRICA | AFRICAN DIALOGUE – Published Feb 10, 2021, 1PM South Africa’s Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize, says that the roll-out of South Africa’s COVID-19 vaccination […]
18th January 2021
CAPE TALK 567AM – Published Jan 18, 2021 10:09 AM With Professor Keertan Dheda, Head of the Division of Pulmonology at the University of Cape Town. […]
13th January 2021
Herald LIVE – By Raahil Sain and Riaan Marais – 13 January 2021 Anti-parasite agent flying off shelves despite official health warnings Despite official health warnings […]
7th January 2021
Sunday Times Daily – Claire Keeton – 07 January 2021 – 18:53 Oxford-AstraZeneca will be easier and cheaper to roll out in SA than many of […]
24th December 2020
SABC News – Dec 22, 2020 Nine months into the fight against the coronavirus pandemic South Africa’s cases stand at 930 711 with the national death […]
20th December 2020
Sunday Times – 20 December 2020 – 00:57 By Paul Ash, Naledi Shange, Tanya Farber and Nonkululeko Njilo Concern over new variant of Covid-19 as professional […]
10th December 2020
NEWS24 – Ntwaagae Seleka – 10 December 2020 Protective facial masks used by many medical practitioners are not safe. A study conducted on 12 brands of […]
4th November 2020
19th October 2020 | Amy Green If the world had forgotten the importance of vaccines, COVID-19 has served as a stark reminder. Less than a year […]
13th October 2020
By Amy Green for Spotlight • 19 October 2020 In recent months, the world has seen unprecedented investment in new vaccines. Yet, while a Covid-19 vaccine […]
4th September 2020
EWN | Kevin Brandt | 04 September 2020 Researchers said 1,783 participants had so far been enrolled in the randomised control trial nationally. CAPE TOWN – Participant […]
1st September 2020
Health24 | Updated 01 September 2020 SA has been consolidating its place in the race towards a Covid-19 vaccine, with its involvement in three international clinical […]
31st August 2020
SABC News – 31 August 2020 Scientists at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town have started a new trial to investigate the potential to repurpose […]
31st August 2020
eNCA – 31 August 2020 A locally conceived COVID-19 drug trial has started at the University of Cape Town’s Lung Institute. Keertan Dheda, Professor of Respiratory […]
28th August 2020
BusinessTech | Staff Writer | 28 August 2020 Coronavirus: Global Covid-19 infections have hit 24.2 million confirmed, with the death toll reaching 826,000. In South Africa, […]
27th August 2020
BusinessDay – 27 August 2020 – 19:15 TAMAR KAHN Scientists will determine if the anti-diarrhoea drug nitazoxanide improves outcomes in high-risk patients Scientists at Cape Town’s […]
14th August 2020
Eyewitness News – Mia Lindeque | 14 August 2020 Dr Gray said that before the end of August, a second vaccine trial would be rolled out followed […]
11th August 2020
The Union, 11 August 2020 Partner sponsored content The Union presents a series of special webinar sessions, organised and paid for by our partners to showcase […]
3rd August 2020
Health24 – 03 August 2020 Targeted interventions need to be shifted to patients with minimal TB symptoms in vulnerable communities, SA researchers say in a new […]
1st August 2020
EWN | 01 August 2020 At least 11,014 new cases have been reported in the country, pushing the cumulative total to 493,183. CAPE TOWN – South […]
31st July 2020
EWN | 31 July 2020 The first eight candidates in the province were enrolled in the randomised control trial at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) […]
13th July 2020
13 July 2020 | Story Niémah Davids. Photo Adobe Stock. Read time 6 min. As Covid-19 surges, Gauteng hospitals and clinics are running out of oxygen. […]
9th July 2020
DAILY MAVERICK | By Ferial Haffajee | 9 July 2020 As Covid-19 surges, Gauteng hospitals and clinics are running out of oxygen. Nasrec field hospital, the […]
8th July 2020
Zakiyah Ebrahim | Health24 – 08 Jul 2020, 08:45 WATCH | Ramaphosa ‘greatly encouraged’ by news of breakthrough in Covid-19 treatment In a breakthrough trial, dexamethasone […]
7th July 2020
eNCA – 7 Jul 2020 Is there anything that people can do to ensure their bodies are healthy enough to fight off the virus? #eNCA spoke […]
1st July 2020
YouTube – 1 Jul 2020 SAMLA – Genoa Underwriting Mangers On Wednesday, 01 July SAMLA, Norton Rose Fulbright in conjunction with Genoa Underwriting Managers hosted a […]
30th June 2020
The Flash Drive with Carl Wastie – Published Tuesday, June 30, 2020 4:39 PM Guest: Prof Keertan Dheda https://omny.fm/shows/kfm-drive/prof-keerton-dheda-chats-to-you-about-clothe-masks#description
19th June 2020
The John Maytham Show – Published June 19, 2020 Guest: Keertan Dheda | Researcher at UCT Lung Institute https://www.capetalk.co.za/podcasts/144/the-john-maytham-show/330116/who-welcomes-preliminary-results-about-dexamethasone-use-in-treating-critically-ill-covid-19-patients
25th May 2020
The John Maytham Show – Published May 25, 2020 4:23 PM Guest: Prof Keertan Dheda https://omny.fm/shows/the-john-maytham-show/a-recap-on-the-medical-risks-of-smoking
25th May 2020
18th May 2020
POWER 98.7 – POWER Lunch – Published May 18, 2020 3:50 PM Desperate for cigarettes and tobacco, some smokers have turned to smoking tea, with mixed […]
17th May 2020
13th May 2020
CAPE TALK 567AM – Published May 13, 2020 11:33 AM Kieno speaks to Sytse Oudkerk Intervention Radiologist, At the Dutch Cancer Institute and Professor Keerton Dheda […]
10th May 2020
eNCA interview – 10 May 2020 People have been given the green light to go jogging and do light exercise but concerns have been raised that […]
6th May 2020
5th May 2020
23rd April 2020
Dheda K, Jaumdally S, Davids M, et al. Wits Journal of Clinical Medicine, Volume 2 Number Si1, Apr 2020, 3-10.
7th April 2020
6th April 2020
31st March 2020
24th March 2020
24th March 2020
14th March 2020
4th March 2020
Zakiyah Ebrahim | Health24 | 04 Mar 2020, 11:08 Since January 2020, the outbreak of the virus which causes Covid-19, has had the world in a […]
22nd February 2020
By Aisha Abdool Karim – February 21, 2020 Masks used by South African doctors and nurses are also being used to fend off […]
21st February 2020
11:33 21/02/2020 Aisha Abdool Karim A shortage of medical masks used to protect healthcare workers in South Africa against TB could run out in the next […]
20th January 2020
15th January 2020
eNCA – 15 Jan 2020 Tuberculosis is a preventable and curable disease, however, it still claims millions of lives every year. In South Africa alone there […]
13th November 2019
For the latest research news, please visit our research and innovation news site or read our research magazine Umthombo. Download the PDF version
8th November 2019
SAMRC 50th GALA Event – 07 November 2019 – CSIR Convention Centre, Pretoria Cape Town | The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) will tonight honour […]
22nd October 2019
CAPE TALK 567AM – 22 October 2019 12:37 PM by Qama Qukula Guest: Keertan Dheda | Professor People who suffer from hay fever allergies and asthma […]
11th October 2019
4th October 2019
17th September 2019
29th July 2019
27th July 2019
8th July 2019
SABC Education Shows Published on 5 Jul 2019 Professor of Respiratory Medicine/ Director of the Lung Infection and Immunity Unit and Head of the Division of […]
4th July 2019
By Keertan Dheda July 4, 2019 What if diagnosing South Africa’s deadliest disease was as simple as taking a drug store pregnancy test? That day […]
12th June 2019
Jun 12, 2019 | Madeleine Johnson NEW YORK (360 Dx) – Tuberculosis infection is the most common cause of death for people living with HIV globally, but […]
2nd May 2019
Registrations are now open for the 2019 Pulmonology Update to be held on 12-14 July 2019 at Groote Schuur Hospital.
23rd April 2019
Dr Phindile Gina has been selected as one of the 2019 WhiteSci Travel Award winners. The award of R7,500 will make a significant contribution towards the costs […]
18th April 2019
Researchers from the University of Cape Town have found that the injectable contraceptive Depo-Provera could potentially increase women’s risk of contracting TB. A breakthrough study by […]
15th April 2019
A breakthrough study conducted by Professor Keertan Dheda and Dr Michele Tomasicchio, at the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, has […]
8th April 2019
Sarcoidosis THE VOICE OF THE CAPE | THE 10AM EXPRESS 8 April 2019 @ 10:22am Guest: Professor Keertan Dheda Position: consultant pulmonologist & specialist physician Guest: […]
24th November 2018
South African Health Excellence Awards 2018 was held on 24 November 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Professor Dheda was awarded the Scientific Excellence Award. This award […]
22nd October 2018
22 October 2018 | Cape Town | Scientists at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) have received top honours from the National Research Foundation (NRF) for their leadership and excellence in science and research.
18th October 2018
Professor Dheda interviewed on eNCA, 18 October 2018.
10th October 2018
04 October 2018 | Story Supplied. Photos Supplied. Leading tuberculosis (TB) researcher Professor Keertan Dheda, head of the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Division of Pulmonology, has been […]
1st October 2018
Umthombo Magazine features research stories from across universities New diagnostics tools for TB meningitis See the interactive Umthombo magazine here Download the PDF version
28th September 2018
The University of Cape Town’s top scientific minds dominated at this year’s National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards ceremony, accounting for 11 of the 37 academics honoured […]
25th September 2018
The story of Goodman Mkhanda In the world of tuberculosis it is often said that ‘it takes a village to cure TB’, and in the case […]
19th September 2018
17th September 2018
Photo: Prof. Tanner, Prof. Keertan Dheda, Dr Simão Prof Dheda was presented with the Scientific Leadership Prize at the EDCTP opening ceremony of the Ninth Forum […]
17th July 2018
TB meningitis is a major cause of death in Southern Africa. Early diagnosis is the key to improving the health outcomes of this disease, but the […]
12th July 2018
A NEW unit has been established at UCT to probe the ramifications of antibiotic resistance. A first for South Africa, the unit aims to address the […]
13th June 2018
Professor Keertan Dheda of the University of Cape Town says health care workers need to go and look for undiagnosed tuberculosis (TB) patients. He has spoken […]
24th March 2018
A breakthrough South African study may change the course of vaccine research for the world’s number one infectious-disease killer: tuberculosis (TB). While a new vaccine has […]
23rd March 2018
Prof Keertan Dheda interviewed on eNCA, 23 March 2018
20th March 2018
Prof Keertan Dheda interviewed on Medecins Sans Frontieres South Africa
19th December 2017
15 December 2017 | Story Nadia Krige In recognition of his excellent contributions to the field of pulmonology – with a specific focus on tuberculosis (TB) […]
25th September 2017
The Ultra’s combination of a lower limit of detection and ability to find dead bacilli after starting TB therapy vastly improves sensitivity compared to other tests, […]
22nd August 2017
Another amazing accomplishment for the Lung Infection and Immunity Unit at this year’s South African Thoracic Society Congress as four of the units scientists won awards. […]
15th June 2017
Professor Keertan Dheda, head of the Division of Pulmonology in UCT’s Department of Medicine, recently delivered a keynote address at the 2017 American Thoracic Society Conference […]
19th May 2017
Congratulations to Professor Keertan Dheda who delivered a Keynote address at the 2017 American Thoracic Society Conference in Washing DC that was attended by ~17000 people. […]
1st May 2017
SAfm, Morning talk, 1 May 2017
25th March 2017
The rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) threatens to derail decades of progress in the fight against the disease, experts warn in a new report published in […]
25th March 2017
New antibiotics are becoming available for the first time but without accurate diagnostics, clear treatment guidelines, and improved control efforts, their effectiveness could be rapidly lost […]
25th March 2017
Tiener ontvang nuwe middle teen TB. Download article Die Burger, 25 Maart 2017
24th March 2017
New antibiotics are becoming available for the first time but without accurate diagnostics, clear treatment guidelines, and improved control efforts, their effectiveness could be rapidly lost […]
24th March 2017
There are no state-funded facilities for people living with incurable TB to spend the rest of their lives safely. New tuberculosis (TB) infections have declined around […]
24th March 2017
TB kills more people every year than any other infectious disease, including AIDS, claims the report. New Delhi: Global rise of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis threatens to derail […]
24th March 2017
The emergence of drug resistant tuberculosis has resulted in scientists taking a more aggressive and urgent approach to research into the development of the disease. As […]
24th March 2017
Mail and Guardian, 24-30 March 2017 Read more A time to accelerate the pace towards a TB – free South Africa Read more SA’s TB think […]
24th March 2017
BBC Newsday, 24 March 2017
24th March 2017
Analysis By Keertan Dheda, University of Cape Town The emergence of drug resistant tuberculosis has resulted in scientists taking a more aggressive and urgent approach to […]
24th March 2017
Lancet Respiratory Medicine Podcast, Aaron van Dorn interviews Stephen Gillespie on Drug resistant tuberculosis
23rd March 2017
Download the media reports Photo: www.freepik.com
23rd March 2017
Tuberculosis is becoming increasingly resistant to drugs worldwide which threatens to derail decades of progress, a report warns. Although new antibiotics are becoming available for the […]
23rd March 2017
The rise of multi-drug resistant bacteria threatens to overturn decades of progress on tuberculosis (TB), experts are warning. Multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) strains […]
23rd March 2017
About 1 in 5 cases of TB are now resistant to at least one major anti-TB drug Rising rates of superbug tuberculosis (TB) are threatening to […]
23rd March 2017
Resistance to anti-tuberculosis drugs is threatening to derail efforts to eradicate the disease globally‚ doctors have warned. A new report published in UK medical journal‚ The […]
23rd March 2017
The global fight to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) is at a critical crossroads, a new report warned today. An emerging epidemic of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant […]
22nd March 2017
London (Reuters) – Rising rates of superbug tuberculosis (TB) are threatening to derail decades of progress against the contagious disease, experts said on Thursday, and new […]
17th March 2017
Watch video eNCA, 17 March 2017
28th February 2017
A new study has found that two thirds of patients with extensive drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) have incurable TB. XDR-TB is resistance to four key TB antibiotics. […]
26th February 2017
Prof Dheda interviewed on Cape Talk Radio
26th February 2017
Prof Dheda interviewed on The Koketso Sachane Show
9th February 2017
Tuberculosis has killed more than a billion people over the last two centuries. A new UCT-led study had the myriad undiagnosed cases of the highly infectious […]
7th February 2017
The rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis has taken a new, horrifying turn. According to scientists, as a result of patients not finishing their treatments for tuberculosis (TB), […]
7th February 2017
eNCA channel 403 DSTV, 7 February 2017
6th February 2017
An estimated 35,000 multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases were recorded in South Africa in 2014. CAPE TOWN – A University of Cape Town researcher says there’s been a […]
30th January 2017
The rise of drug-resistant tuberculosis has taken a new, horrifying turn. While various strains of TB, with varying degrees of resistance to drugs, have wreaked havoc […]
30th January 2017
URGENT action, including rapid diagnosis, better access to medication, improved home-based care and more community-stay facilities for patients, is crucial in addressing the rising transmission and […]
30th January 2017
The rise of incurable tuberculosis (TB) underscores the need to address poverty, overcrowding and the HIV epidemic in Africa, experts say. A study which tracked more […]
26th January 2017
A recent landmark trial showed 53% more patients initiated therapy for tuberculosis (TB) after a new DNA-based diagnostic tool was used to screen for the disease […]
23rd January 2017
Cape Town | TB researchers suggest that urgent action, including rapid diagnosis, wider access to newer and repurposed drugs, and bolstering home-based care and building long […]
20th January 2017
Cape Town | A recent randomized controlled trial revealed that 53% more patients initiated therapy for tuberculosis (TB) after a new diagnostic tool (GeneXpert MTB/RIF) was used […]
10th November 2016
An audit conducted by the City shows that 42 percent of children exposed to TB patients have not been screened for the disease. UCT head of […]
15th March 2016
Test enables a diagnosis in 20 minutes and earlier anti TB treatment A rapid, and simple to use, low-cost urine sample to test for TB at […]
27th January 2016
Tuberculosis often lies undetected in the very patients it is most likely to kill: HIV positive patients. But a urine test could change that. A new […]
16th October 2015
At a ceremony on Tuesday 13 October, UCT announced the names of six new fellows – permanent academic staff who are being recognised by UCT Council […]
21st September 2015
Newsroom, 21 September 2015
7th May 2015
You have a relentless, hacking cough that just won’t go away, but you don’t think it’s anything serious. It could be because of the change of […]
10th March 2015
CAPE TOWN – Not being able to breathe is a trauma many Cape Town residents have experienced in the last week. From regular shack fires to […]
20th June 2014
11th June 2014
There are patients who have incurable and infectious Tuberculosis who are being discharged from hospitals as they cannot be treated. This is according to the UCT […]
3rd June 2014
UCT is delighted that one of its academics, Prof Keertan Dedha, is the 2014 recipient of the Oppenheimer Fellowship, the Oppenheimer Trust’s premier award with a […]
2nd June 2014
“My life has stopped. I don’t want anyone to go through what I’m going through,” 36-year-old Kirt tells me through the facemask that holds back the […]
31st May 2014
UCT researchers have been nominated for BHP Billiton Awards for their work in the fight against tuberculosis, from using satellite tracking to identify “super spreaders”, to […]
28th May 2014
“Sometimes I ask myself, why me? Why did this have to happen again?” says 31-year-old Andile from the Khayelitsha township in Cape Town, South Africa. “But […]
21st May 2014
Eleven UCT researchers have been selected as finalists for the prestigious NSTF-BHP Billiton Awards for 2013/14. The national awards celebrate outstanding contributions to Science, Engineering, Technology […]
1st May 2014
Download article Netcare Health, Issue 1 2014
28th March 2014
Download Provincial TB Directorates
27th March 2014
Tuberculosis (TB) is still a huge problem throughout the world. South Africa is particularly hard hit by the disease. It is one of only two countries […]
22nd March 2014
A sampling device identifies ‘superspreaders’ who cough up live TB bacteria A face mask with satellite-tracking will show where patients go in the community The team […]
17th March 2014
Watch the video.
22nd January 2014
The spread of a virtually untreatable form of tuberculosis in South Africa is being fueled by the release of infected patients into the general community, according […]
17th January 2014
Patients with incurable and highly infectious tuberculosis (TB) were being routinely discharged from hospital to die at home, putting friends, family and people in tehir community […]
17th January 2014
Patients with contagious and highly drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) are being routinely discharged from hospitals across South Africa, exposing others in their communities to potentially deadly infections, […]
17th January 2014
Long-term treatment-related outcomes in patients with extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis are unknown. We followed up a cohort of patients to address knowledge gaps. Download article The […]
6th January 2014
Health experts are trying to tackle an increase in a highly infectious drug-resistant form of TB which could leave London on the cusp of a TB […]
23rd November 2013
In his address to MRC award and grant winners at a prestigious ceremony in Cape Town, outgoing MRC Chairperson Professor Lizo Mazwai described the South African […]
31st October 2013
Download report 31 October 2013 Photo: www.freepik.com
29th October 2013
An on-the-spot sputum test for tuberculosis works better than the commonly-used, 125-year-old microscope method, but did not reduce illness in a southern African trial, a study […]
28th October 2013
Point-of-care Xpert MTB/RIF tuberculosis testing is associated with more patients getting same-day diagnosis and having same-day treatment initiation but does not result in improved tuberculosis-related morbidity, […]
28th October 2013
PARIS – An on-the-spot sputum test for tuberculosis works better than the commonly-used, 125-year-old microscope method, but did not reduce illness in a southern African trial, a […]
10th September 2013
Download article
23rd July 2013
Prof. Dheda interviewed on Power FM
12th June 2013
Nelson Mandela remained another day in hospital with no reports of any improvement in his condition which South African President Jacob Zuma described as “very serious” […]
6th June 2013
Download article Cape Argus, 3 June 2013 Download article Die Burger, 6 June 2013
26th April 2013
The new technology, which was unveiled at Groote Schuur Hospital for teh first time in Africa yesterday, is a minimal brochoscopic procedure that heats the wall […]
12th April 2013
Watch this informative video as uploaded to YouTube by EDCTP.
1st April 2013
Hurriyet Daily News – Nelson Mandela was comfortable and breathing without difficulty on his third day in hospital after the anti-apartheid hero was treated for pneumonia, […]
23rd January 2013
Three new top appointments at UCT’s Department of Medicine – all black staff – are proof that the university is well on its way to becoming […]
28th August 2012
Award winners, from left: Malika Davids, Dr Richard van Zyl Smit and Dr Jashira Naidoo The run of good fortune has continued as the Lung […]
21st May 2012
A host of UC scholars and units have been nominated for the 2011/12 National Science and Technology Forum-BHP Billiton awards. This year, the NSTF celebrates its […]
23rd November 2011
Keertan Dheda interviewed on SAFM
9th October 2011
The 2011 Sixth EDCTP Forum was held in Addis Ababa and was attended by Professor Keertan Dheda and Dr. Grant Theron from the Unit. Several important […]
1st September 2011
UCT won no less than three nominations – more than any other institution – when the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI) recently recognised […]
8th June 2011
Malika Davids, a doctoral student in UCT’s Lung Infection and Immunity Unit in the Department of Medicine, certainly had her fellow delegates sitting up and taking […]
10th May 2011
Radio Interview with Prof Keertan Dheda on SAFM
4th May 2011
Prof Keertan Dheda interviewed on SABC
15th April 2011
Splinternuwe masjiene wat vir die eerste keer middelweerstandige tuberkulose (MDR-TB) in staatshospitale kan diagnoseer,isdeurdiedepartementvangesondheid aangekoop. Download article Die Burger, 15 April 2011
13th November 2010
Dr Keertan Dheda, Associate Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Cape Town, is the recipient of the 2010 Union Scientific Award, bestowed by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD). The annual global award honours a researcher under the age of 45 who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of tuberculosis and/or lung disease.
1st November 2010
Recent unprecedented efforts have led to an expanded tuberculosis diagnostic pipeline, and, in September, publication of the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF in a large multicentre trial […]
21st September 2010
UCT researchers have shown that health workers in South Africa are contracting extensively drug-resistent tuberculosis (XDR-TB), the most serious form of the disease that is extremely […]
13th September 2010
The controversial question of whether or not to incarcerate patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis came under the spotlight at a workshop held at the Faculty of Health […]
25th June 2010
Thanks to their new Discovery Foundation Academic Fellowships, Dr Hoosain Khalfey and Dr Greg Symons have the funding to continue their potentially ground-breaking studies of lung […]
19th May 2010
In The Lancet today, Keertan Dheda and co-authors present an interesting report about early treatment outcomes of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (resistant to isoniazid, rifampicin, any […]
14th May 2010
TB is the most common serious opportunistic infection that HIV-positive South Africans contract. TB patients who are tested for HIV can be put on antiretroviral treatment […]
1st May 2010
Data from Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, suggest that almost all patients with extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis are HIV-positive, with a fatal outcome. Since, there are few […]
1st May 2010
Although progress has been made to reduce global incidence of drug-susceptible tuberculosis, the emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis during the past decade […]
1st March 2010
The Lung Infection and Immunity Unit of the University of Cape Town would like to join with the rest of the world in commemorating World TB […]
26th October 2009
New findings by UCT’s Dr Richard van Zyl-Smit could up-end some widely-held tenets of tuberculosis testing. Based at the Lung Infection and Immunity Unit, Van Zyl-Smit, […]
26th October 2009
Three specialists at UCT’s Lung Infection and Immunity Unit have won substantial US fellowships for their doctoral studies on tuberculosis. Download article Monday Paper, 26 October […]
23rd October 2009
Skin testing for tuberculosis, the current method used in South Africa as well as in the UK and Canada is being questioned by a top UCT […]