The increasing number of cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is one of the leading global health concerns. One country where MDR-TB is now common is South Africa, but a study has shown that nurses know little about the condition and its treatment.

The study was presented at a recent conference in Durban. Many nurses considered MDR-TB a rare problem, even those in KwaZulu-Natal, which has the highest incidence of drug-resistant TB in the country. Only about 19% of the 16 health facilities surveyed in rural and urban areas of Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces had nurses with formal training in MDR-TB management. Worryingly, it was found that some nurses who had been trained to handle MDR-TB demonstrated similar levels of knowledge as those who were untrained.

More details are available from IRIN News.