Bhekisisa: A R60 Test Could Help South Africa Test Millions More TB Patients — but Will It Miss the Most Dangerous Cases?

31 March 2026

Bhekisisa analysis

— South Africa is one of 13 countries to pioneer new faster, cheaper TB tests, when a trial comparing the new tests’ ability to pick up TB to the method currently used starts.

— The portable $155 (R2 655) machine can run individual tests that cost just $3.60 (about R60) — compared to $10 (R171) for current tests — and would allow clinics to diagnose TB on the spot within an hour.

— But the portable machines can’t detect drug-resistant TB, requiring a second lab sample if a patient tests is positive — and experts warn overstretched clinics may struggle to follow through.

— If drug-resistant TB isn’t picked up, patients are put on the wrong treatment — medicine that doesn’t cure them.

— To see if reaching millions more people is worth the trade-off, two studies are looking at the technology to see how, and how soon, the test can be used in everyday care.

Read the full analysis here.

 

Source: Bhekisisa