Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC), Deputy President Paul Mashatile delivers the keynote address at the South African commemorative event of the World TB Day 2025 and launch of the National End TB Campaign at Ugu Sports & Leisure Centre, Ugu District Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal Province.
Image: Siyabulela Duda/ GCIS
ENDING TB was within reach, says Deputy President and South African National AIDS Council (Sanac) chairperson Paul Mashatile, despite the US’s freeze of its President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which disrupted critical TB programmes, threatening progress in case detection, treatment access, and research efforts.
About 270 000 people were in 2023 diagnosed with TB. Of those, 56 000 lives were lost, which translates to 153 people every day.
An estimated 58 000 people with TB were not diagnosed in the same year, said Mashatile, during his keynote address commemorating World TB Day at the Ugu sports and leisure centre in KwaZulu-Natal on Monday.
Mashatile used the commemoration to launch the “END TB” campaign aimed at testing five million people by the end of March next year, and annually thereafter. It is hoped that this initiative will result in a 29% reduction in TB incidence and a 41% reduction in TB mortality by 2035.
“South Africa is among 30 countries that account for 87% of the global TB burden. It is also among the 10 countries battling the triple burden of TB, HIV and TB co-infection, as well as drug-resistant TB. Yet, TB is a disease that is preventable and perfectly curable, even if one is living with HIV.”
South Africa is scrambling to raise funds to fill the gap that has been left open by the US government’s decision to withdraw funding for HIV/ Aids and TB-related programmes. PEPFAR accounted for 17% of these initiatives and the government has since tasked the Department of Health to come up with contingency planning to absorb the short-term shocks resulting from the PEPFAR situation.
“With a shift towards country-led service delivery, South Africa must strengthen sustainability planning at national and provincial levels. We need to re-think HIV and TB service delivery models and transition to country leadership.
"However, as HIV and TB become more integrated into primary health care and frontline services, responsibility for service delivery transitions from external funders.”
Mashatile said TB and HIV services and treatment were still available for free at all public health facilities.
“Working together, we will deliver on our promise of ending TB as a public health threat. Ending TB is within our reach! The fight against TB is a fight for justice, equity, and a healthier future for all South Africans. May we rise to this challenge together.”
Cape Times