The government will launch TB catch-up programs as it pursues shortened treatment after the infectious disease was put on hold due to COVID-19.
This was disclosed on Friday by Deputy President David Mabuza in Rustenburg, North West, at the South African National Aids Council (SANAC) extended plenary.
“The COVID-19 epidemic made the situation worse by undoing the progress made in South Africa and around the world in the fight against TB.
But the nation has consciously worked to start over, challenge the established quo, and step up TB interventions,” he told the delegates.
The construction of the multi-sectoral TB recovery plan, including the TB catch-up programs and the establishment of the TB multi-sectoral accountability framework supported by the World Health Organization, has begun to be coordinated and backed by SANAC, according to the Deputy President (WHO).
Both, according to him, are “roadmaps to ensure a collaborative response to TB and drive South Africa towards winning the struggle against TB.”
South Africa is one of the 14 States with the highest burden of TB, TB/HIV, and multi-drug resistant TB and is one of the 30 high-burden TB countries, accounting for 87 percent of estimated incident cases globally (MDR-TB).
In the interim, the body will continue to support the government’s initiatives to push for shorter and more affordable TB prevention and treatment regimens, which are essential for successful adherence, according to Deputy President Mabuza, who is also the Chairperson of SANAC.
Pharmaceutical companies must work with the government to improve access to both multidrug-resistant TB treatment options as well as prevention regimens because the cost of medications continues to have an impact on access.
The Deputy President asserts that, in order to ensure that TB treatment is successfully completed, it is also crucial to provide access to psychosocial, nutritional, and socioeconomic support.
“A key component of our ongoing efforts to address TB-related issues is the advocacy work being done by civil society for the implementation of TB preventive therapy among high-risk groups.
We need to scale up the effective preventive therapy regimen in order to make it available throughout the country.
Currently, it is mostly available in districts supported by the Global Fund.
He expressed alarm on the high incidence of new HIV infections among youth in the nation.
The Department of Health’s youth champion, Deputy Minister Sibongiseni Dhlomo, led the launch of the recently launched National Youth HIV Prevention Strategy and Campaign, dubbed “Zikhala Kanjani,” in Limpopo during Youth Month.
The Deputy President considers the use of a Nguni slang term to be a step in the right direction in terms of engaging youth with effective and targeted activities.
In the meantime, he said, young people will be used to spread messages about prevention, treatment compliance, substance abuse, mental health, teen and child pregnancies, youth unemployment, gender-based violence, and femicide.
He also stated that the SANAC has made significant strides in creating the new National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB, and STIs for the years 2023 to 2028, which was launched in March of this year.
“A few focused consultations have also been held, and more are scheduled to happen in the coming weeks.
The National Strategic Plan’s Provincial Implementation Plans are also the subject of engagements.
He added that the government was preparing to introduce the new National Strategic Plan on March 24, 2023, during the subsequent World TB Day.
“Following that, there will be a rolling launch of the Provincial Implementation Plans for the National Strategic Plan.
Proper alignment between national and provincial structures is a key component of the National Strategic Plan’s implementation, he continued.