Increased TB Incidence In Zimbabwe Associated With Food Insecurity, Economic Collapse

Results of a study released by the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health and published in PLOS ONE state that the “rise of tuberculosis (TB) in Zimbabwe during the socio-economic crisis of 2008-9 has been linked to widespread food shortage.” According to the University of Toronto’s press release, “‘This was the first study to detect the recent TB outbreak in Zimbabwe, and the first anywhere to suggest an association between rising TB incidence and national economic decline in the absence of armed conflict,’ said Michael Silverman, assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and senior author of the study. Although the same phenomenon may occur with other infectious diseases, the study focused on TB — one of the largest causes of morbidity and mortality in Zimbabwe, especially among people living with HIV…” (2/5).

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