Hon House Chair, the Deputy Minister of Health, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Dr Dhlomo, fellow hon members, in the words of former states man, Nelson Mandela and I quote, "We cannot fight Aids unless we do much more to fight TB as well."
Thus this ANC-led government has made notable intervention to curb the scourge of TB and related illnesses over the years. More than 6,8 million people living with HIV and Aids get treatment, screening, treatment and preventative methods are intensified and readily available for free in government facilities. The problem of stigmatisation is greatly reduced due to an extent that people living with HIV and TB are now acceptable in society.
A 2018 article published in the PLOS ONE journal found that and quote:
In the preHIV era the Western Cape province had the highest TB prevalence in South Africa, largely through to poor
socioeconomic conditions and failed public health responses before and during apartheid. The provincial TB Incidence of 906 to 100 000 at the time of the study remained one of the highest in the country.
One of the findings of this journal revealed that most discharged TB patients did not continue care or successfully completed TB treatment with potentially serious implications for patients, the community and the health systems. We thus call on the provincial government of the Western Cape to ensure that the hospitals improves the quality of care of TB patients, develop integrated hospital TB surveillance systems linking to the national TB information system and strengthen care pathways for TB patients across levels of care.
Now Chairperson, in the Gauteng province, South Africa has made significant progress in its control of TB. The ANC-led government has put in place many of the key elements of the successful TB control programme including significant resource allocation, a strong policy environment, rapid technology introduction, valuable research outputs and bold political support. The country's government is heavily invested in its
TB programme, with one of the highest proportions of domestic funding in development countries.
We must commend some of our provincial Departments of Health for heeding to the call for swift responses to the epidemic, in ensuring the country realises the global targets of eliminating the disease by the year 2030.
Gauteng is one such province. Education and screening programmes are done at all levels of service delivery as a package. They are mainly coupled with symptomatic screening of individuals and groups of people in facility waiting areas and during planned campaigns in communities, congregate areas, example correctional services, hotspots like taxi ranks, hostels and in health facilities.
Afrikaans:
Ope dae word ook in die provinsie van Gauteng gehou, waar stalletjies vir die gemeenskap opgesit word, en waar hulle opleiding oor hul publieke gesondheid rakende TB en MIV ontvang. Hulle het baie sulke ope dae.
English:
Outreach activities are carried out by nongovernmental partners supporting the Gauteng Department of Health in malls and taxi ranks. Comprehensive screening and health education including TB services and linkage to care for those suspected of TB and those that interrupted their treatment.
Community work is done by the Community Health Care Workers on a Ward-Based Outreach Teams during which home visits door-to- door campaigns are done including profiling of TB patients, screening and referring to health facilities for further treatment and care. This list can go on and on and on.
We need to commend the MEC of Education in the Gauteng province on this good wood work.
In closing Chairperson ...
Afrikaans:
... as ons nie gaan ophou om politiek met die epidemie van TB te speel nie, gaan ons nie Suid-Afrikaners help nie. Ek wil saamstem dat ... In die Wes- Kaap wil ek vir die DA vra om te gaan kyk in ons arm gemeenskappe. Solank as ons nie die sosiale en ekonomiese omstandighede van ons mense verbeter
nie, gaan ons nie die TB-getal in die Wes-Kaap kan verminder nie.
English:
Chairperson, in conclusion the ANC is calling on all South Africans and provincial Departments of Health to be part of a global voices, shaping the future TB direction and for more concerted efforts to make in an effort to realise that our National Development Plan, NDP, target of progressive improving TB prevention and cure. It is indeed, in our hands to end TB in this country. I thank you, Chair. [Applause.]