Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the world needs to change its attitude towards dealing with TB. Motsoaledi says despite the progress made, countries including South Africa, need to intensify prevention and treatment programmes for TB, which he says it is currently the number one killer among infectious diseases in the world.
Motsoaledi was addressing a South African National Aids Council extended plenary sessions in Polokwane.
“We have got a killer amongst our midst, which is annihilating us, but it does not care anybody. That killer is TB. As we are sitting here today, I wish to announce to you that TB is now the number one killer of all infectious diseases in the world. In the last 200 years, TB has killed more people than Aids, cholera, malaria. But many of us here have heard action against them, but not about TB.”
Deputy Chairperson of the South African National Aids Council (Sanac), Steve Letsike, added that the country is facing a challenge to reduce new HIV infections to 88 000 in the next two years.
Delegates include Deputy President David Mabuza, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, premiers and MECs.
Letsike says South Africa’s annual new HIV infection rate currently stands at 270 000, which the Global HIV Prevention Coalition says should be reduced.
“We are now are under pressure Deputy President because by 2020, we must have reduced infections to 88 000 as a country. We only have one year. Our current new infections is at 270 000 annually, and that means that we must move fast in our response. Deputy President, in 2010 we launched a testing campaign which was successful, but we are not testing in the same rate as we were testing 8 years ago.”
