Friday 24 March marks World TB Day – a commemoration designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis today remains an epidemic in much of the world. It’s a particularly important day for Kevin Grenfell because he lost his mother to a rare strain of TB (Mycobacterium Avium Complex) in March 2016.

Her death prompted Kevin to learn more about a disease that is as misunderstood as it is deadly. He discovered that TB is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and that many victims are children under the age of 10. In fact, every day, up to 200 children die from TB despite it being a preventable and curable disease. In South Africa specifically, there is an urgent need for public attention, prioritisation, commitment and funding for this disease. In a quest to lift children out of the shadows of TB – and in celebration of his mother’s life – Kevin was inspired to get on his bike.

School Health Programmes can reduce common health problems in learners, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) – which in turn can boost attendance and educational achievement. Healthy children learn better and school health and nutrition interventions have been shown to improve not only children’s health and nutrition, but also their learning potential and life choices both in the short and long-term.