​South Africa is among the 30 high tuberculosis (TB) countries identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with an estimated 270 000 new cases and 56 000 TB-related deaths.
Now out of the 8 million people living with HIV in the country, approximately 55% of TB patients are also HIV-positive, making it the leading cause of illness and death among people living with HIV.
While the country has made major strides in increasing antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage and expanding TB screening and treatment, major gaps remain. In most cases, many patients with co-infections struggle managing both TB and HIV simultaneously which leads to further complications with their treatment. This is one of the significant barriers to effective TB treatment in the public healthcare system.
In response to this, the National Department of Health (NDoH) working with provinces and civil society organisations have launched the National END TB campaign. This campaign aims to expand TB testing, and ensure that every person with TB is identified and treated. By scaling up testing to 5 million people annually, new TB cases could be reduced  by 29% and TB-related deaths by 41% by 2035.
This response works simultaneously with the recently launched "Close the Gap" Project which is dedicated to finding and linking the missing 1.1 million people living with HIV to treatment, driving South Africa on the path to end AIDS as a public health threat.
The End TB Campaign aims to address the key barriers to testing, communicate benefits of TB testing and treatment adherence, and reduce stigma related to TB. TB is preventable, treatable, and curable. It is important that people living with HIV regularly screen for TB, and all TB patients test for  HIV, and stick their treatment regime.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has called for a concerted effort by all members of society take action in ending tuberculosis (TB), a preventable, treatable and curable disease.
Minister Motsoaledi was addressing members of the media, health professionals and civil society representatives at the End TB Campaign Media Workshop in Sandton, Johannesburg on Wednesday, 19 March 2025.
The workshop aimed at mobilising members of society, particularly the media as they have the power to influence public awareness, drive social change and hold decision-makers accountable, as well as shape how communities understand and respond to public health challenges like TB.
Minister Motsoaledi urged the media to be champions for TB by using their platforms to educate, investigate, and inspire action in the prevention, screening and treatment adherence of the disease.
"Let us work together to ensure that TB is no longer a neglected disease, but a national priority. Let us encourage TB testing by running stories that emphasise early detection and treatment success; fight stigma by humanising TB through personal stories of survivors and those affected; dispel misinformation about TB transmission and treatment and promote TB prevention efforts, including household contact tracing and TB preventive therapy," urged the Minister.
The Gauteng province will commemorate World Stop TB Day on Thursday, 27 March 2025 at Kokosi in Carletonville.