MSEP – CAPE TOWN,

SOUTH AFRICA Amy Sessions

Cape Town – as a tourist

Cape Town – in reality

Cape Town – the people • Race in CT

• Black African 38.6%

• Colored 42.4%

• White 15.7%

• Indian/Asian 1.4%

• Other 1.9%

• Population 3.7 million

• First languages • Afrikaans 35.7%

• Xhosa 29.8%

• English 28.4%

• Other 1.6%

TB in South Africa

• 3rd highest incidence, after India and China

• About 1% of the 50 million develop active TB each year

• 73% of TB patients are HIV-positive

• Latent TB: about 80% of the SA population is infected with TB bacteria

• TB remains the leading cause of natural death

• Ways to identify • Clinical signs

• Tests

• CXR

• Sputum smear

• Sputum culture

• CBC

• GeneXpert

• Skin test

• ICRAs

• Gastric aspirate

• Bronchoscopy

• CNS

TB Clinical Trial

• XACT-GeneXpert Active Case-Finding Trial

• Mobile van clinic in townships of Cape Town screening and

testing for HIV and TB

• 6 weeks volunteering

• Typical Day

• Arrive at UCT at 8:00 A.M.

• Set up mobile van clinic in

township by 9:00 A.M.

• Screen and recruit eligible

patients until 12:00 P.M.

• Pack-up and follow-up

paperwork at UCT until 3:00 P.M.

Sight-Seeing

• Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Devil’s Peak, Cape Point

• Boulder beach: penguins!

• Kirstenbosch botanical gardens

• Shark-cage diving: Simon’s Town or Gansbaai

• Markets: Old Biscuit Mill, Green market square

• Water-front: shops, Aquarium

• Rhodes memorial

• Cheetah sanctuary in Somerset West

• Whale-watching: Hermanus

• Stellenbosch vineyards and wine tasting

Sight-seeing…

Expenses

• Flight Birmingham – Cape Town: $2,223

• Rent, food, sight-seeing for 10 weeks: $2,200

• Interning with UCT doing clinical trial: free

• No vaccinations required

• The SA rand to dollar is roughly 10:1 and is reflected in

the prices.

• Overall, food and groceries are cheaper in SA.

• However, gas for traveling is much more expensive.

Thank you!

Professor Keertan Dheda

Dr. Laura Kezar