(TAC)
12 March 2007
The Acting Health Minister Jeff Radebe met with the Treatment Action
Campaign, Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa, Southern
African HIV Clinicians Society and Medicines Sans Frontieres in Johannesburg
yesterday to discuss the challenge of Extreme Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR
TB).
While the meeting was held at the request of the TAC and others, it formed
part of Minister Radebe's programme to strengthen working relations between the
Department of Health and various stakeholders in the health sector.
Minister Radebe restated government's commitment to address HIV and AIDS
through partnership and united action. The civil society delegation was led by
the TAC's chairperson, Zackie Achmat, who welcomed the seriousness and urgency
that Minister Radebe demonstrated in addressing Tuberculosis, particularly
Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) and XDR TB.
The meeting discussed measures that need to be taken to strengthen the
national TB Control Programme including:
* active case finding
* efficient diagnosis and tracing of patients
* improving cure rate and reducing defaulter rate
* better management of MDR and XDR TB cases
* infection control measures
* increase ongoing training for all people working with TB
* TB education for communities and patients.
Everyone agreed that TB represented a public health emergency that required
urgent but sustained and effective action.
It was agreed that a task team, which is made up of national and provincial
health department officials and representatives of civil society and other
stakeholders, should be established to discuss these issues in detail and make
appropriate recommendations within weeks.
It was agreed that there is a need to strengthen communication between the
two parties and strengthen partnerships to address various health challenges in
the country.
The Treatment Action Campaign and others present asked Minister Radebe to
convey a message of speedy recovery to Health Minister Dr Manto
Tshabalala-Msimang.
Contact:
Sibani Mngadi
Ministry of Health
Cell: 082 772 0161
Nathan Geffen
Treatment Action Campaign
Cell: 084 542 6322
Issued by: Department of Health and Treatment Action Campaign
12 March 2007
