Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health challenge in South Africa, with the country having one of the highest TB burdens in the world. The South African government has made significant efforts to combat TB, including implementing the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) strategy, which involves providing patients with a combination of medications and ensuring they take them under supervision.
The National Department of Health (NDoH) has partnered with The Clinton Health Access Initiative, The Praekelt Foundation and Made2Fly Creative to scale up the use of the TBCheck mobile platform which provides an easy mechanism for TB self-screening. The platform, which is accessible via WhatsApp and USSD, guides users through a series of questions about themselves and any symptoms they may be experiencing. The platform then provides suggestions on whether users should proceed to test for TB, monitor symptoms and it also alerts the user to their personal risk profile (high, low, etc.).
The NDoH is calling on all South Africans to help themselves and their friends by using the TB screening platform to screen for TB. South Africans are encouraged to screen for TB by dialing USSD *134*832*5# or send the “TB” to 060 012 3456 on WhatsApp and following the prompts that follow for a quickTB screening.
To upscale the use of the platform, the department has collaborated with various partners to partake in a number of interventions that will scale up the use of the platform. The following activities have been planned in our fight against TB:
1. The NDOH in collaboration with the Department of Education and provincial teams launched a pilot intervention in The Dr Kenneth Kaunda district. 10 primary schools were selected in 3 clusters i.e Kuma, Kanana and Tlokwe to participate in the schools engagement. In a Fundraiser-style campaign; each learner is given a screen raiser sheet where their families/caregivers/communities will be asked to “donate” a screen (instead of money) and help their child win 1 of 3 prizes
2. Employee Wellness programs
3. Media & PR
4. Social Media
We would like to extend an invitation for support in our efforts to create awareness and scale up the use of the TBCheck platform.
For further information, contact:
Charma Maluleka, Made2Fly Creative
Email: charma@made2flycreative.com
078 109 0390
Or
Palesa Mapheelle, Clinton Health Access Initiative
Email: pmapheelle@clintonhealthaccess.org
Cell: 071 128 3250
