WORLD TB DAY – HOW FAR HAS AFRICA AND SOUTH AFRICA COME WHEN IT COMES TO

FIGHTING TB?
 THE 24 TH MARCH MARKS WORLD TUBERCULOSIS (TB) DAY, AN ANNUAL CAMPAIGN TO
RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE HEALTH, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF
TB. SOUTH AFRICA, ONE OF 30 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD WITH A HIGH TB BURDEN,
WANTS TO INTENSIFY THE FIGHT AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS (TB) BY INCREASING THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE TESTING FOR THE DISEASE TO FIVE MILLION OVER THE NEXT TWELVE
MONTHS. THIS WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE FROM THE 2.7 MILLION TESTED IN
2023.
 THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) PLAYS A SIGNIFICANT
ROLE IN COMBATING TUBERCULOSIS (TB) GLOBALLY, INVESTING SUBSTANTIAL
RESOURCES AND PARTNERING WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE PREVENTION,
EARLY DETECTION, TREATMENT, AND RETENTION IN CARE, PARTICULARLY IN HIGH-
BURDEN COUNTRIES.
 CANCELLATION LETTERS, WHICH END BILLIONS OF RANDS OF SOUTH AFRICAN
UNIVERSITIES’ US-GOVERNMENT FUNDED HIV AND TB RESEARCH GRANTS WITH
IMMEDIATE EFFECT, STARTED TO ROLL OVER THE WEEKEND.
 TODAY WE WANT TO LEARM MORE ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR SOUTH AFRICA AND
ARE JOINED BY , SIHLE MAHONGA- NDAWONDE WHO IS THE PROJECT COORDINATOR AT
THE TB ACCOUNTABILITY CONSORTIUM