South Africa is requiring companies to submit updated HIV and tuberculosis testing policies in order to be issued a mining license, IRIN News reports. Like neighboring countries, South Africa has a high TB incidence that is fueled by high HIV prevalence. Miners face even higher risks because of poor living conditions, including poorly ventilated and overcrowded single-sex hostels. Regulators are asking the mining industry to improve TB services by adopting a rapid TB test, upgrading health centers to allow for the treatment of drug-resistant TB, and extending health services to those from surrounding communities and mines. Currently, South Africa’s mining sector sees three times as many cases of active TB as the general population.  

To read the IRIN News article, click here.