Pretoria - Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has received the USAID-TB International Award for championing the fight against Tuberculosis (TB).
Minister Motsoaledi, who was honoured for his leadership in the global fight against TB, received the award during the USAID Award ceremony on Thursday in Washington DC.
He was also honoured for championing bold initiatives in the screening, treatment and prevention of TB; TB/HIV co-infection and MDR-TB for the country and the region.
Minister Motsoaledi, who is also chairperson of the Stop TB Partnership, challenged all countries to intensify the fight against TB.
“It is time for the world to treat tuberculosis with the same urgency it demonstrated in responding to major new health threats like Ebola and the Zika virus," said Minister Motsoaledi.
He said although TB accounts for many deaths in the world, it does not evoke the emotions, passion, urgency and requisite activism that the world has seen in all other epidemics.
“TB as a disease in the last 200 years killed more people than the major epidemics, Ebola, malaria, HIV, small pox, bubonic plaque, influenza and cholera all added together. TB is killing more than 1.5 million and infecting nine million people globally," he said.
Global funding
The Minister acknowledged the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria for continued support to provide almost 80% of all international funding for TB.
“Without this support, we will not end TB or AIDS and Malaria by 2030. I hope you will join me in calling on world leaders to support a fully replenished Global Fund at their fifth replenishment taking place later this year.
“Adequate financing for TB is more important than ever, especially because of drug resistant TB. Thanks to the work of the UK Review on Anti-Microbial Resistance, G7 Heads of State issued a special declaration recognising that drug-resistance to TB and other infections can reverse decades of progress at the cost of millions of lives and trillions of dollars,” said Minister Motsoaledi.
Of the estimated 700 000 deaths per year caused by antimicrobial infections, MDR-TB is responsible for nearly one-third of these deaths and could cost the global economy $US 16.7 trillion by 2050, the Minister highlighted.
The Minister appealed to all leaders of the world including, Heads of State and governments, heads of major institutions, religious leaders, activists, academics, major world blocs like the BRICS, EU, G7, G20, the AU and the UN General Assembly to put TB on the agenda like they did with all the major pandemics.
Treatment and cure
"First and foremost we want them to work together with urgency to find an effective vaccine against TB to ensure that no one contracts TB in the first place. In the meantime we must be able to diagnose TB with a rapid diagnostic test much like we have for HIV.
“We must have an effective treatment that cures TB and MDR-TB in weeks, rather than months, without the debilitating side effects of current treatments,” said Minister Motsoaledi.
World TB Day
Meanwhile, South Africa will intensify the fight against TB as part of the World TB Day 2016.
The World TB Day commemoration will take place on 24 March 2016 in Lephalale Local Municipality at Waterberg District, in Limpopo. The mass TB screening campaign will dominate this year's World TB Day activities.
Deputy President and the Chairman of South African National Aids Council (SANAC), Cyril Ramaphosa, together with Minister Motsoaledi are expected to attend the event. – SAnews.gov.za
