Johannesburg - In two years, South Africa will for the first time know the exact number of people living with tuberculosis in the country - if the government has its way.
For years, South Africa has relied on estimates provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on how many people were at risk of contracting TB and how many people were living with it. On Tuesday Duty President Cyril Ramaphosa was optimistic as he launched the country's first national TB prevalence survey.
Speaking at a joint commemoration with the AU and the Department of Health to mark World TB Day - which is celebrated on Thursday - at Lephalale in Limpopo. Ramaphosa said although the WHO estimates were “informative”, they were open to contestation, and getting accurate data would enable the government to better measure its response to the epidemic.
South Africa is among the 22 high-burden countries that collectively contribute about 80 percent of the total global burden of TB cases.
“The WHO has always urged countries to undertake a national TB prevalence survey at least once every five years. This crucial survey will be undertaken by the Department of Health, supported by the SA Medical Research Council and the Human Sciences Research Council,” Ramaphosa said.
“We are expecting the survey to be concluded in two years and look forward to getting a truer indication of our TB burden.”
Ramaphosa and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi officially opened the Marapong Community Health Centre at a Lephalale informal settlement. The centre is a public/private partnership clinic to replace the old four-room house that had been used to serve the community's health needs.
The deputy president said Lephalale had appropriately been chosen as a place to commemorate World TB Day and to continue the government's screening campaign as it had been bearing the growing brunt of the disease.
Lephalale is currently one of the fastest-growing towns in the country, following the discovery of huge coal deposits nearby. Already, there is evidence that TB infections, contrary to the general decline seen in other provinces, are on the increase in the area, especially in informal settlements such as Marapong.
“In Lephalale, TB/HIV co-infection stands at about 65 percent compared to the national average of 55 percent. We are aware we are more likely to succeed in Lephalele if we have strong partnerships with non-government entities, including the private sector,” Ramaphosa said.
Motsoaledi said the joint commemoration of the event with the AU was crucial as it underlined the importance of a continent-wide response to the epidemic.
Ramaphosa praised Motsoaledi for being awarded the USAID-TB international award in recognition of his leadership in the global fight against TB. Reliable figures will be available for the first time
The Star