With TB Awareness Month kicking off on Tuesday March 1 next week, the Haybo Wena! (Hey You!) Use Your Elbow, song aims to help prevent the spread of TB germs.

The catchy chorus message is “to use your elbow when you cough”.

TB remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide and is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer, with South Africa reporting one of the highest infection rates in the world. It is spread by breathing in air-borne bacteria from people with active infectious TB disease and is preventable.

“We needed to find a way to engage the public in a fun and light-hearted way in order to encourage them to call out others when they see someone coughing, to use their elbow rather than their hands,” said Michael Joubert, Chairman of South African Family Health Association.

Joubert explains: “Haybo Wena! (Hey You!) Use Your Elbow! is the phrase we have adopted for the initiative, TB is preventable and getting people to change their behavior with a simple action like using the elbow as opposed to the hand, will assist in curbing the spread of this deadly disease.

“TB germs can survive for up to 24-hours on hard surfaces and are spread through the air when someone who is sick with TB coughs or sneezes,” he adds. “With South Africans commuting in confined spaces and living in cramped housing facilities the disease is rife and a change in behaviour through education and empowerment is key to breaking the cycle.”

“The campaign is lead by traditional ‘gogos’ who are well respected matriarchal figures, and these mamas are hoping to spread the gospel wherever they go,” Joubert says. “The gogos have developed a catchy song and music video and with posters, flyers and activations in various areas. We have already seen how engaging it can be.”

More about TB:

• TB is a top infectious disease killer worldwide
• It is curable and preventable.
• It is caused by bacteria (mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs
• It is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected.
• South Africa has one of the highest reported TB infection rates in the world.
• According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis (TB) is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide due to a single infectious agent.
• TB is the leading infectious killer of youths and adults.

Download the song from Soundcloud