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Opinion: WHO numbers underscore urgent need for stronger leadership and ambitious TB recovery plan

Opinion: WHO numbers underscore urgent need for stronger leadership and ambitious TB recovery plan

By Zameer Brey, Marcus Low, Yogan Pillay and Ingrid Schoeman,
Posted in: COVID-19, Edition 12: SA’s AIDS & TB response, Edition 14: Tuberculosis, Edition 7: TB, Latest, TB

According to new estimates from the World Health Organization around 61 000 people died of TB in South Africa in 2020, an increase of around 5% over 2019. That works out to over 1 100 TB deaths in the country every week. We urgently need a transparent TB recovery plan and we need both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Joe Phaahla to invest real political capital in the implementation of the plan, the authors argue.

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In-depth: Getting Gauteng’s HIV and TB response back on track

In-depth: Getting Gauteng’s HIV and TB response back on track

By Melissa Javan,
Posted in: Edition 10: Drug-resistant TB, Edition 12: SA’s AIDS & TB response, Edition 7: TB, Edition 9: State of HIV, Gauteng, Latest, Provinces, TB

From March to July this year, the Gauteng Department of Health recorded 57 848 TB tests – a decrease of about 30 000 tests compared to the same period last year. The province performed better with HIV testing, although the HIV response has faltered in other areas. Melissa Javan makes sense of the province’s numbers and speaks to activists and community health workers about the impact of lockdown on their services and plans to get things back on track.  

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From the frontlines: 20 years of fighting HIV in Khayelitsha

From the frontlines: 20 years of fighting HIV in Khayelitsha

By Siyabonga Kamnqa,
Posted in: Edition 12: SA’s AIDS & TB response, Edition 6: HIV & teens, Edition 8: NSP in general, Edition 9: State of HIV, HIV, Latest

Two decades since Doctors without Borders (MSF) started its HIV programme in Khayelitsha, the organisation will start wrapping up its operations. Siyabonga Kamnqa spoke to some people living with HIV who benefitted from this programme and who now work as activists about developments over the last 20 years.

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WORLD AIDS DAY: How stigma is impacting the 90-90-90 goals

WORLD AIDS DAY: How stigma is impacting the 90-90-90 goals

By Prof Linda-Gail Bekker,
Posted in: Edition 12: SA’s AIDS & TB response, Edition 9: State of HIV, HIV, Latest

The HIV epidemic is far from over and we will not reach key UNAIDS targets and control HIV unless we end HIV-related stigma, argues Prof Linda-Gail Bekker.

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Some TB patients still required to take pills in front of witnesses

Some TB patients still required to take pills in front of witnesses

By Elri Voigt,
Posted in: Edition 10: Drug-resistant TB, Edition 12: SA’s AIDS & TB response, Edition 14: Tuberculosis, Latest, TB

Some tuberculosis patients in South Africa are still required to take their pills in front of a healthcare worker or family member. Is this a justified means of ensuring people take their medicine, or is it an invasion of personal autonomy? Elri Voigt asked local TB experts.

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OPINION: Community-led monitoring is a breakthrough in our HIV response

OPINION: Community-led monitoring is a breakthrough in our HIV response

By Anela Yawa and Lotti Rutter,
Posted in: Edition 12: SA’s AIDS & TB response, Edition 9: State of HIV, HIV, Latest

Thanks to community-led monitoring in South Africa, we now have the data to back up the stories we have all heard about – early morning queues that last all day long when clinics fail to open on time and then also close early, writes Anele Yawa and Lotti Rutter.

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