Gauteng’s TB caucus visits TB hotspots in the province ahead of World TB Day
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 the open.
The visit by the Provincial Legislature was part of the group’s initiatives to awareness about TB, encourage TB testing and prevention as well as strengthen the TB response where it is most needed.
Addressing the Makawusi residents, Dr Bandile Masuku, chairperson of the Gauteng TB Caucus, told the community that TB is treatable and manageable, but that depends on increased awareness, testing and treatment adherence, and emphasised that more effort is needed.
“TB is treatable and manageable, but only if we increase awareness, testing and treatment support. Ending the disease needs continued commitment and action from all of us and this can be achieved if people get tested and adhere to their treatment so that we can finally end TB,” he said.
Masuku encouraged communities to look out for warning signs and symptoms such as a persistent cough that lasts for weeks, night sweats, weight loss and general illness, which are symptoms that are often overlooked until the disease becomes severe.
He also stressed the importance of treatment adherence, warning that failing to complete medication can lead to drug-resistant TB, which is more difficult and longer to treat.
“Drug resistance develops if you do not complete your medication, which makes the disease harder and longer to treat, so it is very important to follow the full course of your treatment,” he stated.
Mobile clinics were stationed outside the venue, where residents were tested for TB and HIV. Those who needed treatment were given their medication on site, reducing the time and costs associated with traveling to their local clinic.
Speaking on stigma and prevention, Lizzy Sebokolodi, deputy director of the TB programme Gauteng Health Provincial office, explained how fear and misunderstanding around TB can prevent people from seeking care, leading to further spread of the disease.
“Stigma around TB stops people from coming forward for testing or treatment, and that allows the disease to spread unchecked,” she said.
“It is important for people not to stigmatise others, as this prevents them from getting the help they need.”
She emphasised that in densely populated informal settlements like Makawosi, taking simple protective measures is crucial.
“It is important to have masks on all the time because of the environment in informal settlement. TB is airborne and spreads fast. It has no control, only we can control it,” she said.
Sebokolodi drew attention to the fact that prevention is just as important as treatment. She reminded communities that TB treatment is available at public clinics and that TB preventive therapy (TPT) can help protect those who have been exposed to the disease. She also urged people living with someone who has TB to come forward for testing to help stop the spread of infection.
Health officials noted that thousands of new TB cases are diagnosed every month in the province. Between April 2025 and January 2026, the TB public-facing dashboard shows that Gauteng conducted more than 480,000 tests. However, according to health officials, a major concern remains that many patients in the province do not return to clinics to start or continue treatment. This loss to follow-up increases the risk of ongoing transmission and preventable deaths.
Another key focus of the discussion was the role of community health workers.
Masuku noted that these workers are essential in helping patients access care, encouraging testing and supporting people to complete their treatment. Their work, he said, strengthens the link between clinics and communities and helps prevent patients from being lost to follow-up.
Beyond the clinical response, speakers stressed that TB cannot be separated from broader social challenges, with Masuku echoing community members’ calls for government interventions to improve food security, such as community food gardens, to help reduce vulnerability to the disease.
“The disease is closely linked to poverty, HIV and malnutrition. I agree that initiatives that improve food security, such as community food gardens, could help reduce vulnerability to TB by ensuring people have access to proper nutrition while on treatment,” said Masuku, adding that he would reach out to relevant government departments to ensure the community’s message is delivered and considered in planning interventions.
As the caucus engagement concluded, health officials reiterated that ending TB will require a collective effort from government, health workers and communities– with awareness, early testing and treatment adherence remaining at the centre of the response.