Review hails South Africa's TB control programme
South Africa's management of TB has significantly improved compared to what it was in 2005. This is finding by a joint review of the TB programme by the World Health Organisation (WHO), development partners and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Specifically, the TB defaulter rate has declined and cure rate has increased. This emerged during a meeting between the Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and a delegation of the Geneva based stop TB partnership including representatives from WHO, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), foundation for innovative diagnostics and other stakeholders in Pretoria today.
The joint TB review looked at, amongst others, Directly Observed Treatment (DOTS) as a strategy of patients the gold standard recommended globally for treating TB patients, strengthening of the health system, TB and HIV collaboration, drug resistant TB (MDR and XDR) and public private partnerships and advocacy, communication and social mobilisation. The review included observations of provision of care in clinics and hospitals, interviews with TB services managers and health workers.
The review found amongst others the following:
* Major improvements on quality and access to TB services (TB diagnosis and treatment available in all health facilities) resulting in increased case detection and treatment success
* HR were found to be sufficient in some provinces but insufficient in others and very often not adequately trained in TB control
* Drugs were generally available and in sufficient quantities
* The review has recommended that infection control measures should be improved as this was found to be weak.
The review also found that HIV testing for TB patients had increased beyond 90 percent in many of the visited facilities. The review has however called for the management of TB and HIV co-infected patients at the same facilities with effective infection control measures. The review has also recommended that NGOs working on HIV should also work on TB.
The review underscored some serious challenges including that in spite of progress made still one percent of the general population gets sick with TB every year, very much driven by the HIV epidemic. Infection control should be strengthened through the formation of national and provincial infection committees and assigning this responsibility to dedicated focal persons.
Concluding the review report Dr Leopold Blanc of the WHO stop TB speaking on behalf of the review team commended South Africa's progress around TB control but also raised a number of concerns. "Despite the areas of concern that are still there, we are encouraged by the progress made by South Africa in this regard. It’s however vitally important that you look more closely in the area of aggressively addressing TB and HIV co-infection and TB within HIV programmes and infection control,” said Blanc.
Ms Irene Koek, Chair of the Stop TB Partnership Board also commended South Africa on tremendous progress in the national TB progress and government's commitment to addressing serious challenges around TB and HIV. Commenting on the review findings, health Minister expressed his confidence on the ability of the country's health system to continue to respond to the TB pandemic even in the context of HIV and AIDS. “We are encouraged by the findings of the review. Moving forward, we have to strengthen around the areas that the review draws our attention to. We are grateful to the WHO and other partners for working with us in conducting this review," said Motsoaledi.
For more information contact:
Fidel Hadebe
Tel: 012 312 0663
Cell: 079 517 3333
Issued by: Department of Health
16 July 2009
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za/)
