World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2025
Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of South Africa’s most pressing public health challenges, being among those countries hardest hit globally. This World TB Day, we reflect on our ongoing commitment to TB research, surveillance, and modelling, helping to shape evidence-based policy and interventions to support the WHO End TB Strategy.
Collaborative Efforts in TB Modelling and Policy Support
SACEMA has a long-standing partnership with the Desmond Tutu TB Centre (DTTC), collaborating on:
- Strengthening TB surveillance, trial data analysis, understanding how COVID-19 affected TB testing and diagnosis, and advancing TB modelling through the DTTC-SACEMA TB Modelling Group.
- Supporting the Department of Health on making evidence-based decisions for national TB policy through the South African TB Think Tank.
Ongoing Work: Closing Critical Gaps in TB Research
Reducing TB incidence (WHO Target: 90% reduction by 2035)
- Asymptomatic TB – Understanding how TB spreads in households with asymptomatic cases using historical trial data.
- Paediatric TB Modelling – Filling knowledge gaps in childhood TB burden and intervention impact.
Ensuring no family faces catastrophic TB-related costs
- Strengthening routine TB surveillance to help identify delays in diagnosis and treatment, reducing financial strain on affected households.
Evidence-Based Insights: Systematic Review of TB Interventions
Junior Researcher, Lauren Brown’s systematic review, “Impact of interventions for tuberculosis prevention and care in South Africa – a systematic review of mathematical modelling studies“, synthesizes findings from various South African mathematical modelling studies to assess the estimated impact of interventions aligned with the WHO End TB Strategy targets.
Key Findings:
- Preventive Interventions: Strategies such as TB vaccination, antiretroviral treatment (ART) for HIV, and TB preventive treatment (TPT) among people living with HIV showed significant potential in reducing TB incidence and mortality.
- Care Cascade Interventions: Strengthening screening, case finding, diagnostic methods, and treatment protocols were identified as crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing transmission.
By leveraging data-driven insights and mathematical modelling, SACEMA, within CERI, remains committed to supporting national and global efforts to End TB.
Learn more about World TB Day initiatives:
