South Africas TB Fight Takes Centre Stage as Mashatile Closes National Conference

Deputy President Paul Mashatile, in his role as Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council, was scheduled to address the closing session of the 9th South African Tuberculosis Conference on 11 June 2026 at the Birchwood Hotel & O.R. Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg, bringing renewed national attention to one of South Africa's most persistent public-health challenges. Held from 8 to 11 June under the theme "Vuka, Let's Unite Towards a TB-Free World!", the conference gathered government leaders, researchers, healthcare workers, civil society, development partners and affected communities to reflect on progress and identify the urgent steps needed to accelerate the country's TB response. The Presidency said the elimination of TB remains a national priority, especially because the disease continues to affect vulnerable communities, household stability, economic productivity and the health system. Mashatile's address was expected to reaffirm government's commitment to ending TB while calling for stronger partnerships to confront ongoing challenges, including TB deaths, TB/HIV co-infection, drug-resistant TB and the social conditions that make diagnosis and treatment harder for many households. More than a closing speech, the moment served as a reminder that South Africa's TB fight will not be won in laboratories or clinics alone; it requires early testing, treatment completion, community trust, better prevention, and a united national push to turn the promise of a TB-free future into reality.