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As Tuberculosis remains one of the Western Cape’s most consistently deadly diseases, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness is taking proactive steps towards a TB-free future. In response to DA parliamentary questions on the matter, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Nomafrench Mbombo revealed that R202. 523 million will be spent on Targeted Universal TB Testing (TUTT) in the next three years. This represents a firm investment in the eradication of a disease which remains far too prevalent in South Africa.

TUTT is an innovative strategy which seeks to completely eradicate TB from a defined geographical area or settlement through proactive testing and treatment. The strategy aims to give every patient at risk of TB a test – even those who do not exhibit symptoms. Crucially, this allows those who are asymptomatic carriers of the disease to be identified and treated, thus minimising the risk that these patients will pass the disease on to other patients who may face life-threatening complications. The GXP tests used for TUTT are highly sensitive, and are capable of detecting the TB bacterium even in asymptomatic or previously infected individuals. In previous trials of the strategy, detection rates of TB saw an increase of 17%.

The funding for this initiative comes from a diverse range of sources. While national government has allocated conditional grants towards the initiative, the Western Cape Government has also ensured that more than R60 million will be supplied from the provincial treasury over the next three years.

The eradication of TB is a vital task for the provincial government. According to the WCG’s provincial TB dashboard, there have been 53 825 cases of TB in the province in the last year, with 4 542 deaths. As such, any effort to eradicate this destructive disease should be welcomed.

DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Health Gerrit Pretorius says: “TB is one of the most serious threats to public health in the Western Cape, and it is vital that the disease is treated with the seriousness and concern it deserves. The widescale implementation of TUTT represents a key step in the Western Cape’s strategy to control and reduce the prevalence of the disease, and this investment in the initiative represents the Western Cape Government’s devotion to a healthier future for all. Working together with the public and our dedicated healthcare professionals, we can and will eradicate this disease from our province.”

Issued by Gerrit Pretorius, MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Health