Towards community-driven tuberculosis education: findings from a knowledge and engagement pilot survey in the rural community of Eastern Cape, South Africa

TB knowledge in this rural setting is primarily shaped by formal education and direct personal experience, while stigma and misinformation remain the predominant barriers to timely testing. Future community-driven education must prioritize leveraging survivor storytelling, peer education, and culturally tailored messaging to simultaneously boost TB literacy, actively reduce stigma, and promote prompt care-seeking.