24 May 2006
Be smart; get tested for TB from the start!
By creating a focus area every year on tuberculosis on World Tuberculosis
(TB) Day, government hopes that more support will be forthcoming to support the
fight against the disease.
This year health services will focus on campaigns in communities and schools
to spread the messages and encourage people to come forward for testing.
Government has prioritised TB Control as needing urgent and sustained
interventions. "The Western Cape Department of Health is committed to build on
its existing TB programme, thereby providing a 'Healthy Home for All' in the
province," said Pierre Uys, Minister of Health in the Western Cape.
"The Western Cape Provincial Government remains deeply concerned about the
rising epidemic and is determined to ensure that additional resources are made
available to support health services in the fight against TB," Uys said.
As a result an additional R12 million was made available this year to
support TB hospitals and those sub-districts worst affected by the epidemic.
"The Western Cape achieved 67% cure rates in 2004," said Dr Keith Cloete,
Acting Chief Director: Health Programmes for the Western Cape Department of
Health.
"Although much progress has been made to control TB and improve programme
performance in Cape Town over the years, the number of TB cases reported each
year continues to escalate with 26 794 cases reported in Cape Town alone last
year an increase of 10% compared to the previous year," said Dr Ivan Toms,
Director, City Health.
Informal settlements where poverty and overcrowding are rife have
experienced the most significant growth in reported cases with the overall
incidence rates in Cape Town now up to 874 per 100 000 populations, ranging
from 496 per 100 000 in Tygerberg to 1 612 per 100000 in Khayelitsha.
In support of the Khomanani TB 2006 campaign, Hola 6, the Western Cape
Department of Health in conjunction with City Health and Desmond Tutu TB Centre
will host several interventions for World TB Day, 24 March 2006. These include
a Taxi Rank Blitz at New Guguletu taxi rank, clinic interventions at Luvuyo and
Vuyani Clinics, a door-to-door awareness campaign in the Luvuyo and Vuyani
communities and school awareness interventions in the surrounding areas. Pierre
Uys, the MEC for Health will be visiting the Brooklyn Chest TB Hospital on the
day.
The annual awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, 23 March 2006 at the
Langa Indoor Sports Complex, Bhunga Avenue preceded by a photographic
exhibition. The overall objective of the open day is to mobilise the nation to
test for TB and to encourage those that have dropped out of the programme to
return and resume treatment. The open day will be dedicated to offering
screening, testing, diagnosis, counselling, education, advice, appropriate
referral to services and distribution of information material.
Media enquiries:
Dr Keith Cloete
Tel: (012) 483 2518
Cell: 082 462 7229
Dr Ivan Toms
Director City Health
Tel: (012) 400 2100
Cell: 084 220 0143
Issued by: Department of Health, Western Cape Provincial Government
24 May 2006
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)
