Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green announced during an event in Sandton that she will be launching a campaign aimed at fighting the stigma that comes with patients who suffer from tuberculosis.
Every Miss South Africa titleholder has an opportunity during her year of reign to adopt a cause or launch a campaign which it is hoped, because of her high profile, makes a difference in the lives of many. Green spoke publicly for the first time about her own battle with the disease in 2015.
Through her campaign, Green will be lending her support to raise awareness of global and national TB campaigns, with the hope that people suffering from tuberculosis will come out of the shadows and will not stigmatised.
Green, who was a sixth-year medical student at the University of Cape Town when she took the Miss South Africa crown earlier this year, was diagnosed with occupationally acquired TB three years ago but failed to share her story because of the stigma associated with it. This made the process of diagnosis and treatment much harder and more traumatic for her.
She will run her campaign in conjunction with the World Health Organisation and the National Department of Health. Present at Green’s campaign launch was Dr Nketeko Mkhondo from the World Health Organisation and Phumlani Ximiya from the Department of Health who took part in a panel discussion with Green.
Green said, “It took me three years to talk about my story. I could have avoided a lot of trauma speaking about it sooner. I am now in the process of dealing with it. I want to encourage people not to be afraid to speak up about their problems and get the help they need. It is the only way we are going to beat TB.
“The power of the Miss SA platform is bigger than I could ever have imagined and I am in a position where my voice can be heard and with that, I have an opportunity to help as many people as I can.”
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