By: Aphelele Buqwana In many South African homes, a child’s cough is often dismissed as a cold, something spurred on by cold weather or a throat itch that will pass. But for thousands of children, that cough could be a sign of TB. According to experts, children are often the most overlooked group affected by the disease. Those under the age of five and children living with HIV face a higher risk. Their vulnerability is linked to different clinical presentations and challenges in screening, diagnosing, treating and preventing childhood TB. In 2024, about 249 000 people developed TB in South […]
READ MORE
By: Aphelele Buqwana Katlehong, east of Germiston, became the focal point of Gauteng’s World TB Day commemoration this year as residents, health officials, civil society leaders and private sector partners gathered to confront the province’s persistent TB burden. Hosted in Ekurhuleni—one of the districts hardest hit by the disease—the event combined community mobilisation with lived experience, using survivor testimonies, on-site engagement and advocacy calls to drive a clear message: testing, treatment adherence and collective accountability remain central to turning the tide on TB. The event focused on the realities faced by communities where TB continues to spread, particularly in underserved […]
READ MORE
By: Zimbini Madikiza-Mgayi The Cala Indoor Sports Centre in the Chris Hani District, Eastern Cape, came alive with energy, hope, and purpose as communities gathered in large numbers to commemorate World TB Day 2026, on the 31st March 2026. From the early hours of the day, the venue filled with voices, movement and a shared sense of urgency—this was not just a commemoration, but a collective call to action in the fight against TB. This year’s event followed a series of build-up activities held across communities in the district. During these engagements, community members spoke candidly about the challenges they […]
READ MORE
By: Palesa Chidi For Gauteng to address its high TB burden, parliamentarians need to understand the data down to the district level as well as the socio economic burden and impact of this age old disease. This was the overarching message that came out of an engagement with the TB Caucus at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.The group were hosted by the TB Accountability Consortium and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation as part of efforts to mark World TB Day. The engagement brought together legislators, civil society and health stakeholders to strengthen the use of data in improving oversight, addressing service delivery […]
READ MORE
By Rene Sparks Residents, community leaders and local stakeholders in two of the Western Cape’s most high burden TB districts have gathered to sound the alarm on the scourge of TB in their areas. The event took place in Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain in the run up to the World TB Day communities in the Western Cape. Led by Neliswa Nkwali, the SA National Aids Council’s Civil Society Forum focal person for TB in the province, both sessions saw participants actively engaged in discussions around:• TB prevention and early testing• Treatment adherence and completion• Community-driven advocacy strategies• Reducing stigma associated […]
READ MORE
By: Aphelele Buqwana Plagued by poor living conditions, cramped housing, poverty, limited access to sanitation and basic services. These are the conditions that many people are living in at Makawosi informal settlement in the Ekurhuleni district, where TB has become a massive health issues. Members of the Gauteng Legislature’s TB Caucus came across this when they visited the informal settlement as part of the province’s pre–World TB Day engagement. The settlement’s densely populated environment and daily challenges make the fight against TB a constant reality for residents, emphasising the urgent need for discussions and efforts that bring the issue into […]
READ MORE
