National budget needs to continue to prioritise TB recovery plan
MEDIA INVITE
26 October 2022
TB Advocacy and Accountability Consortium (TBAAC), an initiative incubated at Rural Health Advocacy Project will be hosting a one-day workshop on Thursday, 03 November 2022. National Treasury updated assumptions that informed the 2022 budget and their outlook for the period ahead through the 2022 Mid-term budget policy statement. It is therefore worth looking at how these choices will impact public-funded healthcare and rural health in particular.
The workshop is set to review the impact of the budget on the implementation of the TB recovery plan and broadly the National Strategic Plan and what role civil society can play in the realization of the TB Recovery Plan becoming fully funded and protected. As it stands, 80% of all TB activities are funded from national revenue. As provinces are responsible for primary health care delivery such as TB, the reduced funding will put pressure on the ability to fully implement the TB recovery plan.
According to WHO stats released on 28 October 2022, an estimated 304 000 people in SA fell ill with TB, 56 000 of those infected died, of these 33 000 also had HIV. TB treatment has followed a successful upwards trajectory however the COVID-19 health crisis has disrupted the progress – for the first time decades TB deaths are rising.
the budget and what we can do to protect or call for the prioritization of the TB recovery plan and strengthening of the primary healthcare services.
The speakers will include:
- Gesine Meyer-Rath – Dr Meyer-Rath is a clinician and health economist working on the economics of infectious disease interventions in low and middle-income settings with focus on modelling methods for economic evaluation and rendering research to inform public policy. She will touch on the investment case approach and how we can use the same to inform advocacy and activism.
- Harry Moultrie – Dr Moultrie is the Senior Medical Epidemiologist for the Centre for Tuberculosis at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. He’ll be giving guidance on how data should or can be used to improve decision-making and accountability.
- Arabo Ewinyu – Arabo is a Research Manager at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies. She is set to give an update on figures covered in the May 2022 Expenditure Choices Report that will give a broader context of the health budget that informs TB and other specific health programs.
Members of the media are invited to join the workshop:
Date: 03 November 2022
Time: 09:00 – 15:30
Venue: Holiday Inn Sunnyside Park Hotel
Media enquires
Phemelo Khaas Phemelo.Khaas@rhap.org.za 0837633472