The TB public dashboard is officially live!
It was launched by Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, the Minister of Health, this week, alongside stakeholders- the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD).
It is a web-based platform, created as part of efforts to reduce TB incidence and mortality in South Africa by 2035.
It is expected to monitor the country’s progress towards the End TB Campaign’s ambitious goal of testing five million people, by province, district, age, and sex – marking a major step forward for transparency and accountability in South Africa.
Dr Motsoaledi, the Minister said “this dashboard is our public contract. It empowers our partners and, most importantly, our citizens to hold all of us – government included – accountable for reaching that five-million target and securing a diagnosis for every person in need.”
The Department of Health said despite South Africa’s high TB burden, the country remains on track to meet its End TB goals by 2035.
Prof. Peter Meyer, NHLS Chief Operating Officer, said, “our main goal is to reduce the TB numbers; we are excited by the way forward through the dashboard. This is a great collaboration between the NHLS, NDoH, and the NICD through the TB centre, in working together to end TB.”
The initiative also builds on lessons learnt from the Electronic Vaccination Data System developed during South Africa’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. As part of the country’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage, the dashboard demonstrates how data-driven tools can enhance health system efficiency, guide resource allocation, and strengthen patient care.
Picture: Supplied