Minister Motsoaledi outlines South Africa’s response to hantavirus threats

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has addressed concerns on South Africa’s preparedness against the hantavirus. The Department of Health is on high alert following confirmation of thehantavirus. Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi addressed concerns regarding the country’s health security system and protocols, stressing the resilience of South Africa’s one health approach but acknowledging the inherent challenges of diseases that “don’t know borders”.

Motsoaledi explained that South Africa’s one health approach has provided a valuable platform for collaboration across human, animal, and environmental sectors. They continue to institutionalise, coordinate, and implement data-sharing mechanisms to maintain their integrated and timely response to health threats. “Our experience in the health security system has highlighted several important lessons: the development of a national framework must be matched by strong implementation; progress in strengthening surveillance; our multi-dimensional outbreak response team at the district level is an invaluable resource, and we require sustained financing to sustain further improvements,” Motsoaledi said.

The minister highlighted that diseases do not know borders. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) established International Health Regulations (IHR), which guide what happens during outbreaks for containment in a particular geographical or even geopolitical area. He said each country must have an IHR focal person, so that around the world, they always have a team of people whose job is tocontrol diseases.

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“In our case, we have got Tsakani Furumele… She was selected long ago as South Africa’s focal point on International Health Regulations,” Motsoaledi said.

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