Following the much-anticipated opening ceremony, day two of the 8th South African TB Conference got off to a bustling start at the Durban ICC. Approaches to TB prevention such as TB vaccines, Tuberculosis Preventive Therapy (TPT), HIV, and nutrition took center stage at a roundtable panel deliberation.
Among the key speakers, Professor Yogan Pillay, Director of HIV & TB Delivery at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, elaborated on the significance of integrating good nutrition in the response to TB. “Studies show that providing nutrition supplements to people with TB who are undernourished reduces the transmission of TB in their households and reduces mortality in these patients,” said Pillay.
He added, “We should improve assessment of nutritional status of patients with TB and offer those that are undernourished with food supplemented to improve treatment outcomes.”
Meanwhile, patient-centred TB care resonated throughout the discussions in the latter part of the day. Some of the key issues unpacked in the presentations focused on a people-centered approach to closing the gaps in TB care. Another presentation elevated the importance of a roadmap towards ending TB in children and adolescents.
Speaking at a plenary session, Dr. Karen du Preez, who leads the Paediatric TB Operational/Implementation Science Research at the Desmond Tutu TB Centre, cautioned on the need for more diagnostic tools for paediatric TB coupled with more child-friendly paediatric TB treatment.
Du Preez indicated that placing patients at the center of TB care, working together with primary healthcare centres on what families need to sufficiently support the national response to TB in children and adolescents, is a crucial component to ending TB in children.
Day two of the conference saw the launch of the #MyTBStory Platform, a new online initiative by the National Department of Health.
The Exhibition Hall was a hub of activity as many delegates and conference attendees were present. This innovation aims to bring together communities, patients, and healthcare workers through the power of sharing lived experiences with TB disease.
The conference is currently underway at the Durban ICC until Friday, 07 June 2024.