By: Aphelele Buqwana The country has taken a major step forward in the fight to end tuberculosis (TB) with the launch of the End TB Campaign public-facing dashboard, a digital platform that tracks TB testing data in near real-time across the country. The dashboard is a collaborative effort by the National Department of Health (NDoH), in partnership with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) and the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) as part of the End TB Campaign. It provides transparent and accessible data to the public. The dashboard comes after concerned effort by TBAC partners supported the SANAC […]
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By: Aphelele Buqwana Clinics, medication and health workers are all essential part of South Africa’s fight against TB. But one often-overlooked element is the lived experiences of patients and the support they receive from their communities. It is in these personal and community spaces where TB champions are stepping in, using their own TB experiences to support patients, tackle stigma and strengthen the link between clinics and the communities they serve. This month we’ve looked at champions in KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape who are navigating stigmas associated with TB to help others stay on treatment and feel supported […]
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By: Aphelele Buqwana The International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung disease has released a new report outlining updated evidence on TB Preventive Therapy with recommendations for how to protect close contacts of a person with drug-resistant TB. TB Preventive Therapy (TPT) is a course of medication given to people at risk of acquiring TB to protect them from getting the disease. In South Africa, the uptake of TPT remains low. This is despite it being an evidence-based intervention to treat latent TB infection and prevent it from progressing to active TB. To unpack the report in the context of South Africa, TBAC […]
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When TB Preventative Therapy (TPT) was first adopted in South Africa in 2002, the idea was that it would only be offered to people who were at the highest risk of getting TB disease after being exposed. These were mainly children under the age of five and people living with HIV, regardless of their age. At the time, preventative therapy entailed a cocktail of anti-tuberculosis medicines, given with the intention of preventing the person from getting TB. The treatment period was between one to six months and resulted in significant side effects which affected how people adhered to the regimens and whether […]
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In South Africa, where many TB patients struggle with poverty and food insecurity, something as basic as a regular, nutritious meal can decide whether a patient completes treatment successfully or falls ill again. However, the new global health guidelines are finally putting nutrition at the centre of the country’s TB response. In April 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its Consolidated Guidelines on Tuberculosis: Module 4 – Treatment and Care, a comprehensive document merging all previous guidelines into one. These updated guidelines introduce improved treatment regimens for people with multidrug-resistant or rifampicin-resistant TB (MDR/RR-TB), while also placing stronger emphasis […]
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As part of its contribution to reduce the country’s TB burden over the next year, South Africa’s economic hub will be focusing on testing miners and getting them on treatment. On World TB Day, South Africa’s National Department of Health rolled out the End TB campaign, an ambitious plan to test 5 million people for TB this year in a bid to reduce the country’s burden. This year’s Gauteng commemoration of World TB Day took place at Harmony Gold Kusasalethu Mine on March 27, where delegates focused on the urgent need for accelerated TB testing, particularly in the mining sector. […]
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