TB remains one of leading causes of ill health and death in SA – Mashatile

Deputy President Paul Mashatile says tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the leading causes of ill health and death in South Africa.

This is exacerbated by the fact that some TB patients do not complete their treatment while others remain “missing” which means that they are either undiagnosed or are unreported even as they are diagnosed, said Mashatile in his keynote address during the World TB Day commemoration and launch of the National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs, in Tlhabane Stadium, Rustenburg, on Friday.

World TB Day was observed today under the country theme: “Yes! You and I Can End TB!”

The theme is aimed at encouraging individual action to strengthen the national strategy against TB.

It underlines the significance of taking personal responsibility and joining forces to eradicate TB as a public health threat by 2030.

TB fight

Mashatile urged the province of Mpumalanga to recommit itself to raising greater levels of awareness about the disease alongside its health, social and economic implications.

This because Mpumalanga faces specific challenges in the fight against Tuberculosis due to mining activities and a high number of informal settlements which result in overcrowding and unfavourable living conditions which expose people to health hazards.

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“The government is determined to build a world free from the devastation of preventable and curable diseases such as TB. We must continue to embark on Tuberculosis catch-up programmes as we continue to pursue shortened treatment after infectious diseases took a backseat due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Interventions across the country

Mashatile said that it was important for everyone infected with TB to be introduced to treatment and complete their treatment.

“Finishing the course is important in order to avoid developing Multidrug-resistant TB and Extensively drug-resistant TB which are both very difficult to treat, life-threatening and fatal.”

Personal responsibility will deliver better progress in the fight against TB, he said.

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Mashatile said it was also concerning that South Africa was mostly off-track in terms of attaining the set TB targets.

“It is concerning that the last SA TB Prevalence Survey positioned our country as one of the 30 high TB burden countries accounting for 87% of the burden. It is one of 10 countries with a triple burden of TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB.

“We shall accelerate interventions to eliminate TB by fast-tracking the implementation of the TB Recovery Plan launched in 2022.”

Stigma

Stigma and discrimination remain some of the hardest social and structural barriers that limit access to TB screening, treatment and care, said Mashatile.

This compromises the lives of people who are infected and affected by TB.

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“We think it is unacceptable that in year 2023, we are still talking about stigma!

“We should therefore collectively champion interventions against social isolation associated with TB at community level. We must also continuously maintain well-coordinated multi-sectoral interventions against stigma and discrimination in our communities.”