Govt targets testing 5m people for TB in new campaign
The National Health Department has set a target to test 5 million people for tuberculosis in its campaign to end deaths as a result of the disease in the country.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile will launch the program during the World TB Day commemoration event in KwaZulu-Natal next week.
According to the World Health Organization, a total of 1.25 million people died from TB in 2023.March is World TB Awareness Month, and Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi held a media breakfast in Sandton on Wednesday.
He urged the media to use their reach to promote education and awareness.Motsoaledi said the fight against TB will not be won in health facilities but in public spaces through education.
He said the campaign to test 5 million people will reach South Africans in their homes.“If there is a member in [one] family who has been tested for TB, whether on treatment or not, but we know that there is one member – let us test the whole family. We are further going to test in communities that we know to be vulnerable, and we want to say if you are HIV positive, let us test you too because most times they go together.”
#EndTBSA Join us in the fight against TB in South Africa. In 2023, TB claimed over 56,000 lives, yet it is preventable with early detection and treatment. The EndTB Campaign aims to cut TB deaths by 41% by 2035. Be a voice for change —spread awareness and share your story. pic.twitter.com/1sPKlvofgU
— National Department of Health (@HealthZA) March 18, 2025
The minister has called on the media to be the government’s ally in fighting the scourge of Tuberculosis in the country.
Though preventable, the South African National Aids Council says TB claims an estimated 56,000 lives in South Africa every year.
Motsoaledi also emphasised the importance of adherence to treatment: “We don’t want a situation where people get used to the fact that there’s HIV and TB, and they are there, and we are going to live with them forever. We should allow that to happen because if it does, we’re in big trouble.
“We should also not allow a situation where people who are on ARVs or anti-TB treatment opt out because if they do, they develop drug resistance that makes treatment very expensive. That’s why even after the PEPFAR pullout, we launched the 1.1 million campaign because if we don’t, we’ll just need more money to deal with these diseases, and it will force us into dependence.”
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