Africa-Press – South-Africa. Former mineworker David Macana fought hard to overcome a pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis – not just once, but three times – and is now determined to ensure that other people also beat the odds and overcome the bacterial disease.
Macana was first diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) at the age of 29, and for a second time when he was 33.
These diagnoses were most likely linked to his job as a gold miner working with explosives, a career he was involved in for 14 years.
A year after leaving the mining industry, at 37, Macana said he could not believe it when he was diagnosed with TB for a third time.
This diagnosis was his most testing as the disease had initially started as pulmonary TB. Still, seven months into the treatment, he was diagnosed with a harsher form of TB meningitis.
Tuberculous meningitis is much more deadly than the pulmonary strain as it indicates the bacteria has spread beyond the lungs, and infected the brain and spine.
TB diagnoses are a regular occurrence for mineworkers in parts of the North West, where mining forms the primary economic lifeline for many jobseekers in the province.
‘What your mind can conceive, it can achieve’
Macana said that, despite the health equipment provided to mineworkers, the harsh conditions underground – the heat and sweat – created the perfect conditions for them to contract the disease.
He said most of the TB diagnoses in mineworkers were from the gold mining industry. Added to this disease was silicosis, a condition that attacks a person’s lungs like TB.
Macana added that his focus had now shifted to ensuring people check their health status, get treatment, and complete it.
He spoke to News24 on 24 March at the Department of Health’s World TB Day event in Rustenburg, North West. His speech spoke to what he believes is necessary to create more awareness about TB, treating it, and making people believe they can overcome it.
Macana’s advocacy work is focused on educating mineworkers on the importance of staying the course and completing their treatments if diagnosed with TB.
He said:
The former mineworker turned TB ambassador says he believes that the mind offers powers to overcome even the most challenging situations.
“What your mind can conceive and live, it can achieve. Every one of us, if we can conceive a positive attitude in terms of TB, we can fight it.”
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