Mashatile - Stigma remains stumbling block in TB treatment
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has bemoaned the impact of stigma and discrimination on the country's fight against TB.
Mashatile was speaking at the official commemoration of World TB Day in Rustenburg on Friday.
Some community and civil society organisations disrupted the event ahead of Mashatile's address - accusing government of not doing enough to combat the disease.
South Africa remains among the nations hardest hit by TB.
"As all of us are aware, tuberculosis remains one of the leading causes of ill health and death in South Africa," Mashatile said.
"It is critical that everyone infected with TB is aware of the infection, it is introduced to treatment and goes on to complete their treatment. Finishing the course is important in order to avoid developing Multidrug-resistant TB and Extensively drug-resistant TB, which are both very difficult to treat, life-threatening and fatal."
Mashatile said government is determined to build a country free from preventable and curable diseases such as TB.
"It concerning that the last SA TB Prevalence Survey positioned our country as one of the 30 high TB burden countries accounting for 87% of the burden. It is one of 10 countries with a triple burden of TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB.
"We shall accelerate interventions to eliminate TB by fast-tracking the implementation of the TB Recovery Plan launched in 2022."
