‘One of the key obstacles is the persistent stigma surrounding TB and HIV…’- Professor Ndjeka
KWANDEBELE – South Africa, one of 30 countries in the world with a high tuberculosis (TB) burden, aims to intensify the fight against tuberculosis by increasing the number of people testing for the disease to five million over the next twelve months.
This would be a significant increase from the 2.7 million who were tested previously.
Every year, March 24 is observed as World TB Day to highlight the urgency of ending tuberculosis (TB), the world’s deadliest infectious disease.
On March 26, 2025, the Dr JS Moroka Municipality partnered with the Department of Health, Nkangala District Primary Health Care Services, Leseding Care Givers, Brothers for Life, Love Life, South African Police Service (SAPS), and other stakeholders to commemorate World TB Day at Nokaneng Community Hall.
Nkangala District Health shared the purpose of the day, which was to raise public awareness about the devastating health, social, and economic impact of tuberculosis (TB) and urge the acceleration of efforts to end the global TB epidemic.
Speaking at the launch of the national programme, head of the country’s TB programme Professor Norbert Ndjeka said scaling up testing will help South Africa reach the target set in the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) strategy to end the global TB epidemic by 2035.
South Africa’s fight against TB is faced with social and economic challenges, he said.
“One of the key obstacles is the persistent stigma surrounding TB and HIV, which often deters individuals from seeking timely diagnosis and treatment. The co-epidemic of TB and HIV complicates treatment as many patients face difficulties in managing both diseases simultaneously,” Ndjeka said.
Other barriers to effective TB care include a lack of trained healthcare workers, poor referral systems, drug stock-outs, and mistrust in the health system.
Wilson Lefifi, a TB survivor, shared his message of support for those who have been diagnosed with TB, urging them to take their medication seriously, emphasising that TB is a serious disease. “It was difficult for all of us because none of us had it. We had to make sure that I took my medication seriously for six months and I was healed,” he said.
The Acting Executive Mayor of the day, Cllr Sophy Mmasabatha Legong, urged the community to stand together, support those affected by TB, raise awareness, and encourage early detection and treatment. She reminded everyone that TB is curable and preventable, and with collective efforts, we can make a difference.
Messages of support were shared by different organisations in attendance, which echoed the importance of love, empathy, and supporting all those families and friends diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Since the start of the End TB strategy in 2015, South Africa has seen a 53% reduction in new TB cases, surpassing the WHO 2025 target of 50%. In the same period, treatment coverage has increased from 58% to 77%, but the country has failed to significantly reduce deaths. The WHO target is 75%, but TB deaths only went down by 16% over the same period.
