HEALTH & SAFETY
Continuous monitoring of employees infected with TB allows us to keep track of employees to limit the spread of the disease.
Proactively tackling mining’s TB challenge By: Dr Ntando Makatini, Business Unit Manager at Platinum Health Medical Scheme
Mining communities have typically required focused TB management, highlighting the importance of strong health programmes, regular screenings and sustained preventative care. These measures play a critical role in early detection, consistent treatment and protecting long-term community health – demonstrating that prevention works. M ining communities have typically required focused TB management, highlighting the importance of strong health programmes, regular screenings and sustained preventative care. These measures play a critical role in this weakens the immune system and can create a breeding ground for opportunistic infections like TB. Furthermore, underground working environments are confined and have limited ventilation, which easily facilitates transmission of the TB bacteria. Meanwhile, long-term exposure to silica, platinum or
early detection, consistent treatment and protecting long-term community health – demonstrating that prevention works. The progress made in reducing TB within mining communities illustrates the practical impact of an integrated Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) and Occupational Health model. Using the integrated model and leveraging the deep understanding of the daily realities of mineworkers, our clinic teams can appropriately and holistically respond to symptoms immediately, instead of treating issues in isolation. This means illnesses like TB are caught earlier, treatment starts sooner and families face less disruption from prolonged sickness. Over time, this practical, context-aware care has helped shift TB from being a dominant threat in mining communities to a condition that can be actively managed – protecting livelihoods, strengthening households and supporting a healthier mining industry and its communities. Mining environments have traditionally been linked to high TB risk, for several reasons. For one, if somebody has HIV,
coal dust can make the lungs more vulnerable, increasing the susceptibility of contracting TB, and since mineworkers generally live in high density environments, this too can accelerate the community spread of TB. TB is a high-risk disease which can have a major impact for medical schemes, if it is not controlled and the correct preventative measures are not in place. Therefore, we need to play our part to ensure that all staff are screened effectively, employees who are at risk of contracting TB are identified and treated early and that they continuously monitor the progress of the treatment. Mining operations work closely with us in our efforts, as they benefit too – these programmes reduce absenteeism, help increase productivity, and ensure that the mineworkers are healthy and safe in the workplace. Screening plays a crucial role as a frontline defence in
30 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | May 2026
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