The MEC for Health in Limpopo, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, said she was concerned about the number of people dying from TB and encouraged people to get screened regularly to prevent the spread of the disease. She addressed communities on World TB Day, held at Mpheni Muthuhadini Combined School on 24 March.
World TB Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness of tuberculosis (TB), the status of TB prevention and care efforts.
Ramathuba made a call on young people to take the lead in the fight against TB and HIV/AIDS. "Young people must be change agents, so that they can play a leading role in informing, educating and mobilising other young people, adults, families and their respective communities to do what is necessary to help end these epidemics," she said.
She said that the government relied on young people to achieve the objectives of sustainable development goals. "TB is one of the major health challenges currently facing South Africa, and Limpopo in particular. The challenge is to improve awareness of the symptoms, encourage people to have themselves tested and assist patients to complete their treatment for the period of six to eight months. Failure to complete TB treatment poses major challenges, particularly with the development of drug-resistant strains of TB," she said. "The people of Limpopo must join hands as we undertake the task to stop TB," she said.
Tshilidzi Siobo (28) is a TB survivor and now a TB ambassador who teaches people, particularly the youth, about the disease. She wants to start a non-government organisation (NGO) to raise more awareness about the fight against TB. She says she still finds it disturbing that most young people in this province, especially those who live in rural areas, still believe in the myth that "only old people are prone to tuberculosis".
"TB does not discriminate, does not know the colour of your skin, age group, the level of your education or your income. Anyone can be infected by this dreadful disease," she said. "After consultation, I was diagnosed with TB and I was so scared, asking myself questions, like 'why me?', 'where did I get this disease', and many other depressing questions."
The treatment period was never an easy journey for Siobo. "Apart from losing close friends who did not want to be associated with me any longer, I also had to endure sporadic diarrhoea and vomiting while I was on the treatment," she said.
Having completed her treatment and been declared TB-free, Siobo now believes she owes it to the community to plough back by starting her own NGO, targeting mainly young people, and thus help raise awareness to fight this monster.