Health department takes charge in quest for global TB vaccine in SA
Motsoaledi was giving the keynote address at a national workshop in Sandton on Wednesday on the creation of a TB vaccine for children and adults.
'This is a beginning of a new chapter where prevention of TB through vaccination will become the order of the day and a groundbreaking innovation,' Motsoaledi said.
The workshop was hosted by the department of health in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
'For over 100 years, we have relied on the BCG vaccine to protect our children from TB. But we have not had a tool that can protect adolescents and adults', he said.
Motsoaledi said the day when an announcement is made on the availability of the vaccine will be a revolutionary and would be like freedom from slavery for citizens.
'The slavery of poverty, which is exacerbated by tuberculosis, premature death of young adults, people losing jobs because of tuberculosis, will come to an end', he said.
Motsoaledi emphasised that the key areas that will make the system ready for implementation and rollout of the vaccine will be generating evidence for policy and investments, reliable delivery systems, and production and supply of the TB vaccine.
'These new vaccines will be a game changer for prevention and for reducing the need for TB preventive treatment in health systems', he said.
Motsoaledi said the advent of Covid-19 taught the world when urgency met preparation.
'We saw how vaccines could be developed, approved and distributed at record speed but we also learnt that science alone is not enough. Public trust, strong systems, clear communication and equitable access are just as essential,' Motsoaledi said.
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A letter writer raises concern about the misuse and wastage of medication in government health facilities. Image: Pixabay Open letter to Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi Sir, do you know the wastage and misuse of drugs that is occurring in our health facilities, costing the taxpayer millions?* There are hundreds of much-needed medical personnel who are unemployed, with the Department of Health citing lack of budgets as an excuse for such unemployment. Yet the gratuitous wastage and shrinkage in health facilities and the misuse of medication add to this growing scourge. This spans across major state hospitals to Community Health Centres (CHCs) to peripheral clinics, and budgets are exhausted long before the financial year end, placing facilities in an invidious position of not providing essentials and life-saving drugs. When last, if ever, did you or any of your directors-general do a spot oversight visit to a health facility to ascertain even a cursory look at how the facility is being run and the control measures implemented? Do you have any idea as to how drugs are being prescribed to the patients, and at times, misused in the manner in which they are prescribed? Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The EDL (Essential Drugs List), which is used as a tool from which to prescribe drugs, has become meaningless - oftentimes, many of the drugs are not available due to non-payment to suppliers. Lazy or incompetent doctors (some, not all) prescribe drugs as if it were a grocery shopping list - up to 18 to 20 items per script. Is this even necessary? There are some doctors who simply add items onto a script at the behest of a patient - this goes beyond the pale, especially noting the fact that a doctor should know better, but panders to the pleadings of a patient. Sadly, this goes unchecked, but importantly it ultimately burdens the taxpayer significantly. Have you implemented any strict due diligence at all health facilities in the country to help prevent the theft of medication by staff, in one form or another? The fact that drug suppliers are not paid duly and withhold medical supplies handicaps medical practitioners from effectively implementing proper and cost-effective health care. Ask any state pharmacist the amount of unused drugs that are returned to the facility beyond the expiry date rendering such drugs unusable - strict patient compliant measures and control need to be implemented - are they? Sir, do not use the lack of funds as an excuse - change what is changeable, even if it is not palatable to the unscrupulous who care less about cost, and the availability of funds will increase exponentially. As the minister responsible for a critical aspect of our society, it is incumbent upon you not to be an ivory tower administrator but rather an activist of change and progress, and I hope that you do just that - else our failing state health care system will degenerate even further. I do not want to get started on the National Health Insurance (NHI) - that elephant in the room, in my candid opinion, will become tuskless - in time. THE MERCURY
