Tuberculosis (TB)
South Africa’s resolve to combat Tuberculosis (TB) has been significantly reinforced with an infusion of $94 million allocated for the ensuing five-year period. This move comes as a part of the country’s continuous efforts in tackling one of its most pressing public health challenges.
Dr Joe Phaahla, South Africa’s Minister of Health, informed attendees at the World TB Day commemoration in Sedibeng on Sunday about the substantial financial commitment laid out in the 2024/2025 fiscal budget. A comprehensive R4 billion has been secured to satisfy the demands of executing the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV, TB, and STIs. Of this, 71% will come from domestic funding sources, 21% from contributions made by the Global Fund, and the remaining 8% from commitments by the United States government.
Amidst the observance of World TB Day, with this year’s empowering theme “Yes! You and I Can End TB”, the Minister emphasised the importance of the ACCELERATE initiative—a collaborative program between the National Department of Health and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This $94 million award is set to expedite TB elimination and bolster program resilience over the next half-decade.
“We welcome this benevolent support from the Global Fund and the United States government with gratitude and value their steadfast contribution to the fight against HIV, TB, and sexually transmitted diseases,” the Minister expressed.
In parallel, the Minister highlighted the National Department of Health’s TB Programme development of an exhaustive TB Recovery Plan dashboard. It enables provincial and district health authorities to effectively monitor the TB programme’s advancements.
Moreover, an innovative HIV and TB dashboard has been instituted at the Health Information Centre, facilitating data access and analysis.
South Africa has also established the SANAC Situation Room, a sophisticated data consolidation and visualisation centre located in Pretoria. This hub is designed to alleviate the challenge of data fragmentation across different sectors in the nation by providing a centralised data repository for monitoring and evaluating its endeavours against HIV, TB, and STIs.
In terms of progress, the fight against TB has observed a steady downturn in diagnosis rates; from a high of 644,000 people in 2007 to 280,000 in 2022. TB-related fatalities have also witnessed a declination, albeit at a gradual pace.
Looking ahead, South Africa has launched the new NSP for HIV, TB, and STIs spanning from 2023 to 2028, setting audacious targets. The corresponding TB Strategic Plan aligns with the NSP, laying down critical actions and forming the crux of the annual TB Recovery Plans until 2027.
Emphasising new interventions, the Minister called for escalated use of cutting-edge diagnostics and treatments, specifically mentioning the successful deployment of WHO-endorsed Rapid Diagnostic tests and the introduction of breakthrough drugs that have enhanced cure rates for drug-resistant TB.
Reaffirming the nation’s commitment, the Minister revealed the ongoing collaboration on a vaccine development programme with GSK, expressing optimism for the eradication of TB through a united front encompassing a host of stakeholders and the broader community.
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