NEW: Zimbabwe steps up fight against TB as the 2025 National TB Conference opens

Rumbidzayi ZinyukeSenior Health ReporterTHE 2025 National Tuberculosis (TB) Conference kicked off today in Harare, bringing together more than 250 delegates from across the country to review progress, share innovations and chart new strategies in the fight against TB.The three-day conference has drawn participants from all levels of the health system, private healthcare providers, civil society, academia, affected communities and development partners.Speaking during the opening ceremony, the deputy director in the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s Aids and TB unit, Dr Fungai Kavenga, said the indaba comes at a critical time as Zimbabwe concludes the final phase of implementing its National TB StrategicPlan (2021–2025) and begins crafting a new road map to guide the country’s response over the coming years.“TB remains one of the leading infectious causes of illness and death in our country, particularly among people living with HIV and those in vulnerable settings.

We have made significant progress, but the fight is not yet over,” he said.Zimbabwe, he said, had managed to reduce TB incidence from 222 cases per 100 000 people to 204 per 100 000 by 2020, while TB-related deaths had dropped from 10 percent to 7 percent.

The country aims to further reduce mortality to below 5 percent.The progress has been attributed to the adoption of new diagnostic tools, shorter treatment regimens and other innovations that have improved case detection and treatment outcomes.This year’s National TB Conference theme, “From Commitment to Action: Innovation, Sustainable Financing and Investment to End TB”, underscores the need to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation as international donor support continues to decline.“We are looking at harnessing input from all stakeholders on how we can further improve our fight against TB,” Dr Kavenga said.“The conference provides a platform to explore innovative and sustainable financing options, integrate TB services with other health programmes and reaffirm people-centred approaches that leave no one behind.”Over the next three days, participants at the conference are expected to review national TB programme performance, identify gaps and come up with actionable recommendations to accelerate progress towards ending TB in Zimbabwe.The Government reiterated its commitment to ensuring universal access to TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment services.Leave a ReplyCancel reply

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