{
  "id": 9301585,
  "title": "Test more people to reduce new TB deaths, study finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/test-more-people-to-reduce-new-tb-deaths-study-finds",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-23T08:43:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GroundUp",
    "slug": "groundup",
    "url": "https://groundup.org.za/article/test-more-people-to-reduce-new-tb-infections-study-finds/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study published in the journal Global Health Action highlights the importance of testing more people with symptoms of tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa to reduce new TB cases and deaths. Despite substantial progress against TB, the country is not on track to meet key targets set for 2030 by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The researchers found that testing a high percentage (89%) of people reporting with TB symptoms at clinics using new point-of-care tests could significantly reduce new TB cases and deaths. These tests, which can be run on both sputum and tongue swabs, would result in a 49% reduction in new TB cases and a 67% reduction in TB deaths compared to no changes in current programmes. The study also identified that high rates of door-to-door testing with these new tests and digital chest X-ray screening could further reduce new TB cases and deaths. While the researchers acknowledged that achieving these targets could require laboratory testing beyond current capacity, they emphasized that new point-of-care tests offer a more cost-effective and quicker alternative for testing symptomatic individuals.",
  "summary": "New tests can be done in clinics and are much easier for patients",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}