Day: April 18, 2023

Stigma and discrimination remain barriers that limit access to tuberculosis (TB) screening, treatment and care – compromising the lives of people who are infected and affected by the disease.

This is according to Deputy President Paul Mashatile who to led his first World TB Day commemoration on Friday at the Tlhabane Sportsground in Rustenburg, North West.

“We think it is unacceptable that in the year 2023, we are still talking about stigma,” he told the crowds gathered in a marquee.

“We should therefore collectively champion interventions against social isolation associated with TB at the community level. We must also continuously maintain well-coordinated multi-sectoral interventions against stigma and discrimination in our communities.”

The Deputy President said the government and civil society will continue to work together to look at how to strengthen the systems that link people to care and scale up initiatives that encourage the use of TB prevention therapy.

He announced that in September this year, world leaders will gather at the United Nations General Assembly for the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB.

“We cannot over-emphasise the importance of collaboration in the TB response. We can do more by leveraging our combined strengths and resources.”

The Deputy President is the sixth Chairperson of the South African National Aids Council (SANAC).

TB remains one of the leading causes of ill health and death in South Africa, exacerbated by patients who do not complete their treatment while others are either undiagnosed or are unreported even though they know their status.

This year’s theme: ‘Yes! You and I Can End TB!’ is aimed at encouraging individual action to strengthen the national strategy against this curable disease.

It underlines, according to the Deputy President, the significance of taking personal responsibility and joining forces to eradicate TB as a public health threat by 2030.

“We must recommit ourselves to raising greater levels of awareness about the disease alongside its terrible health, social, and economic implications and strengthen other efforts to prevent the further spread of the disease in our communities.”

He said that the North West province faces specific challenges in the fight against TB due to mining activities and a high number of informal settlements, which result in overcrowding and unfavourable living conditions that expose people to health hazards.

However, he is of the view that the active roles of civil society, the private sector, development partners, research institutions, community members, TB survivors and people infected with TB, all remain paramount in the fight to end TB.

He said government is determined to build a world free from the devastation of preventable and curable diseases such as TB and that it will continue to embark on catch-up programmes and shortened treatment.

This is after the infectious disease took a backseat due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“However, regardless of the setback, we have made conscious efforts to rebuild and intensify TB interventions across the country,” he said.

NSP for HIV, TB and STIs

To that effect, through the fourth National Strategic Plan (NSP), the State will continue to guide the collective response to HIV, TB and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

“Viewed together, the plans set out in the NSP provide insight into the path we have travelled as a nation to overcome one of the most devastating human challenges of our time.”

The Deputy President also took the time to launch the fifth NSP for HIV, TB and STIs for the period 2023 to 2028 as adopted by Cabinet.

He described the plan as a blueprint and roadmap for a multi-sectoral, people-centred approach to eliminate HIV, TB and STIs as public health threats by 2030.

SANAC is leading several activities as part of the NSP rollout, which includes messaging about STI transmission, condom use, availability of family planning services and availability of ground-breaking HIV prevention tools.

“It is about our lives, how we protect, prolong, value and improve it. Let us work together to ensure that this NSP is one of the last in our times.

“Yes! You and I, together, can end TB,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Mpumalanga says approval of the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD) follows a process – one being a verfification that the applicant does not receive an income.

In a statement on Tuesday, the agency said applicants should note that if their application is still pending it means, it’s not yet verified.

“The applicants must be aware that the agency does not only verify banking details but it also verifies citizenship with the Department of Home Affairs, and it also verifies with the Department of Employment and Labour to check whether the person is UIF [Unemployment Insurance Fund] registered or not.

“If the verification of the above mentioned requirements are not yet finalised, the status will state ‘pending’. When the applicant has successfully passed all verification, SASSA will approve the application and the status will be updated to ‘approved’,” SASSA said.

SASSA said some of the delays that cause beneficiaries not to receive the R350 grant after approval is that they do not provide banking accounts/details but they only choose the name of the bank where they want to get the grant.

Beneficiaries have been reminded to keep on checking their personal details to ensure that they are correct and the grant is received by the right person.

For more information, applicants can contact the agnecy’s toll free number: 0800 60 10 11 or 013 574 9428/9363 from 08:00 – 16:00 during week days Monday – Friday. –SAnews.gov.za

Source: South African Government News Agency

The Duayaw-Nkwanta Traditional Council in the Ahafo Region has announced the death of Nana Boakye Tromo III, the Paramount Chief of the area.

According to Nana Boakye Bonsu, the Akwamuhene of Council, the late paramount chief died somewhere in 2022 after a short illness.

Addressing a news conference at Duayaw-Nkwanta, Nana Bonsu, the Acting President of the Council, said the Council was yet to date for the one-week celebration soon.

As tradition demands, the council has ordered the closure of stores, shops, drinking spots, restaurants, and markets in the Duayaw-Nkwanta township until further notice.

Nana Bonsu said workers in the formal sector were also expected to wear red or black apparel to work, saying those who failed to comply with the directive would be sanctioned.

He also appealed to the Police to remain watchful and arrest anybody whose attitude or behaviour could disturb the prevailing peace of the town.

Source: Ghana News Agency

National Rehabilitation Chief Commissioner Teshome Toga told the Ethiopian News Agency that registration of former combatants will begin in June 2023.

The National Demobilization and Reintegration Programme (NDRP) programme activities will support demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, making important contribution to national efforts to consolidate peace and promote stability.

National Rehabilitation Chief Commissioner, Teshome Toga said extensive efforts are being exerted to enable ex-combatants to return to peaceful lives and participate in the country’s peace, democracy, and development processes.

The former fighters are sections of the society who participated in various conflicts in the country, and in the two-year long war in northern part of Ethiopia, he stated.

According to him, the commission has succeeded in organizing the commission, explaining its purpose, and conducting discussions with donors and partners to collect financial support since it started operation three months ago.

In addition, Teshome pointed out that a consensus has been reached on the preliminary arrangements necessitated to rehabilitate ex-combatants in Tigray, Amhara, Afar, Oromia, Benishangul-Gumuz regions.

The National Rehabilitation Commission was established in November 2022 for a period of two years to assist with demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants across the country.

“Disarmed former combatants want to reintegrate into society, that is what we at least hear all over the country. Therefore, it is necessary to gather support from donors and partners to implement this program of demobilization and reintegration which is vital in bringing them to a center and rehabilitating them.”

The chief commissioner stated that the commission has prepared a two-year program in cooperation with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), investors and civil society organizations.

Ambassadors of various countries and donor institutions have confirmed their support to the efforts initiated to achieve lasting peace and stability in Ethiopia, he revealed.

Once the National Defense Force and other security institutions complete disarmament of the combatants, rehabilitation activities will begin quickly, Teshome stated.

Noting that the National Demobilization and Reintegration Programme will support demobilization and reintegration of 250,000 to 300,000 ex-combatants, the chief commissioner disclosed that the effort requires 550 million USD.

As soon the disarmament of fighters from all parts of the country has been completed, registration work will begin in June 2023, it was learned.

“When we confirm that disarmament work is over, we will demobilize those who have been released. We are working on this registration software. …….And if we finish by the end of May, we will enter the registration process from June first 2023. This is our temporary plan. We’ll run it together.”

Besides the registration, Teshome said that a team has already been formed to evaluate the centers in each region to accommodate ex-combatants.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency