Deputy President Mashatile is the 6th Chairperson of SANAC, after President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed him to chair the Council as part of his delegated responsibilities.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee  was briefed on preparations for the forthcoming World TB Day, which will be observed on 24 March 2023 under the theme, "Yes! You and I Can End TB".  To that effect, Deputy President Mashatile will head South Africa's World Tuberculosis Day commemoration at the Tlhabane Stadium in Rustenburg, North West Province.

The commemorative event aims to raise public awareness about tuberculosis and its catastrophic health, social, and economic implications for individuals and communities, as well as to increase efforts to avoid further disease spread and loss of life.

Furthermore, the IMC deliberated on the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV, TB and STIs 2023 – 2028. The NSP was approved by Cabinet at its March 1st meeting, and will officially be launched as part of the World TB Day commemoration activities.

The National Strategic Plan provides a framework at a strategic level for a multi-sectoral approach to eliminate HIV, TB and STIs as public health threats by 2030.

The new NSP is aligned to relevant national and global strategies, including the World Health Organisation’s Global Health Sector Strategies on HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections for the period 2022 – 2030; Stop TB Partnership’s Global Plan to End TB 2023 – 2030, and South Africa’s National Development Plan Vision 2030.

Deputy President Mashatile was encouraged by the progress that has been made by SANAC, “Since inception of SANAC, the country has made remarkable strides in limiting the impact of HIV, TB and STIs and its impact on people and communities”, said Deputy President Mashatile.

The South African National Council is a multi-sectoral body comprising of government, civil society, business, labour and development partners, established to create a collective response to HIV, TB and STIs in South Africa. 

This previously appeared on The conversation. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of The Joburg Post.