Technical support unit to boost SA’s TB programme

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded Genesis a grant to provide technical support to the National Department of Health as part of the foundation’s $2.5-million, three-year Tuberculosis Delivery Strategy for South Africa.

This is the second phase of the programme, which was launched in 2021, and will focus on supporting the implementation and scaling of evidence-based interventions to reduce gaps in TB care cascades. Overall, the programme aims to fast-track the effective implementation of the TB Recovery Plan and National TB Strategic Plan across all nine provinces.

The grant will enable the establishment of a Technical Support Unit within the health department and in this way strengthen its capacity to lead and manage the implementation of policies and strategies. The purpose of the unit is to:

• Create a shared vision of national TB priorities and raise the profile of TB in South Africa.
• Create an enabling environment for implementation.
• Strengthen coordination between national, provincial and district levels to ensure the effective implementation of activities and utilisation of resources.
• Strengthen monitoring and evaluation of TB plans to build accountability for deliverables.

As a local provider of technical support for strategic programme implementation in South Africa, Genesis will deliver the programme through staff seconded to the National TB Control and Management Cluster. This will provide additional resources and expertise, build implementation systems and skills transfer, help the department to institutionalise performance review and accountability processes, and use data systems to underpin strong accountability among stakeholders.