TB remains one of the leading causes of illness and death among people living with HIV, particularly in South Africa, where co-infection rates are high. Effective TB prevention among HIV-positive individuals is therefore crucial to reducing morbidity and mortality. There is however often a knowledge gap relating to community-level practices and beliefs that can hamper the design of context-specific health education and TB preventive therapy programmes. To address this gap, this study explored the knowledge, awareness and practices of TB prevention among HIV-positive patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) at Oliver Reginald Tambo Clinic in Johannesburg.

A total of 135 participants aged 18 years and above were recruited during their clinic appointments. Data was gathered using structured questionnaires aimed at assessing patients’ understanding of TB prevention and identifying behavioural factors contributing to delayed health-seeking practices.

Overall, the findings showed good awareness of TB risk and prevention among participants. Misconceptions about its cause were however evident, with 65% of participants believing that TB is a viral infection. All participants reported having access to TB screening services at local clinics and hospitals.

Despite general awareness of TB prevention, the study concluded that attitudes and practices towards screening and prevention remain inadequate. There is consequently a need for targeted strategies to strengthen TB prevention knowledge and promote effective health practices in the community.