‘End TB’: Mashatile on SA’s high ‘tuberculosis burden’ and possible vaccine breakthrough

Deputy President Paul Mashatile expressed concern over the highest rates of tuberculosis (TB) in South Africa.

Speaking during the World TB Day commemoration on Monday at KwaZulu-Natal, Mashatile stated that South Africa bears one of the highest TB burdens in the world.

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‘TB knows no boundaries’ – Mashatile

According to the deputy president, South Africa is among the 30 countries accounting for 87% of the global TB burden.

“In South Africa in 2023, around 270,000 people were diagnosed with TB, and tragically, 56,000 lives were lost, which translates to 153 people every day,” he added.

Mashatile noted that an estimated 58,000 people with TB were not diagnosed.

“TB knows no boundaries – it affects people across all communities, but the burden falls most heavily on the poor and vulnerable,” he said.

Furthermore, Mashatile explained that the country is among the 10 countries battling with the “triple burden of TB, HIV and TB co-infection”, even though TB is preventable and curable.

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‘End TB’ campaign

In addition, the deputy minister launched the “End TB” campaign, which aims to test five million people by March 2026.

“This will, in turn, result in a 29% reduction in TB incidence and a 41% reduction in TB mortality by 2035,” Mashatile added.

The deputy president said that those who have close contact with those diagnosed will be tested to find the five million individuals regardless of symptoms.

TB vaccine

He noted that South Africa is at the threshold of a TB vaccine breakthrough.

“The ‘M 72 TB’ vaccine trials conducted in South Africa have yielded promising results,” he revealed.

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Efforts made by the government

According to Mashatile, the government is set to maximise efforts to end TB by using the following four critical objectives:

• Raise awareness by promoting preventive measures, early diagnosis and effective treatment.
• Promote “access to care” by providing universal access to quality healthcare services, including psycho-social support for everyone infected and affected by TB.
• Advocate for research and innovation for the development of new vaccines, diagnostic tools and treatments to end TB.
• Strengthen partnerships for collaborative approaches through multi-sectoral role players, including governments, health organisations, civil society and the private sector to share resources and expertise.

Through these four objectives, the government aims to strengthen TB prevention, improve treatment success, including for people living with HIV, enhance the linkage of people diagnosed with TB to treatment and care, and reduce TB-related stigma, discrimination, and other forms of human rights violations in their communities.

“Throughout the transitions, we want to emphasise to all South Africans – that TB and HIV services and treatment are still available for free at all public health facilities!” Mashatile concluded.

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