Retired archbishop Desmond Tutu is receiving an concentrated course of antibiotics to treat a “stubborn infection,” his South African foundation said on Thursday.
Tutu, 83, was admitted to a Cape Town hospital on Tuesday, where he is receiving an “intensive course” of antibiotics to fight an infection, the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation said in a statement.
Tutu's daughter Mpho is to give an update on her father's health in a press briefing, the statement said. When Tutu was admitted, Mpho Tutu said their family hoped the Nobel Peace Prize laureate would be able to return home in a “day or two.”
The foundation, named after the anti-apartheid activist and his wife, thanked the public for the support they have received since Tutu was admitted to hospital.
“The Tutu family has been overwhelmed by the deluge of love and prayers [and interview requests] that have poured in,” the foundation said in a statement.
Tutu has been treated for prostate cancer for many years.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for campaigning against apartheid.