The international scientific evidence clearly shows that Covid-19 vaccines are the best tools to manage the virus and have saved and continue to save lives.

Vaccines will continue to be offered to residents and remain an integral part of the Western Cape Government's fight against the Coronavirus.

It is not my role to comment on the role of parliament, and I respect that it is a separate arm of government, but I hope that how this event happened will be investigated. I and my administration believe that vaccines have and continue to save lives.

Those who falsely claim that they are a danger are wrong and they should be held to account for their views.

New report from WHO on XBB.1.5. South Africa data was used as important source of info. Take home message ‘available information does NOT suggest that XBB.1.5 has additional public health risks than other currently circulating Omicron lineages. bit.ly/3mX2p2I

News24.com | Nontsikelelo Zwedala: An unsung hero of the struggle for HIV medicines dlvr.it/SlF7YD

SPOTLIGHT on #WorldTBDay2023. TB preventive therapy supply constraints delay wider roll-out of shorter regimen in SA. SECTION27 TAC National Department of Health Adrienne Shapiro, MD, PhD Harry Hausler Fareed Abdullah TBAC_sa SAMRC SAHPRA RHAP TB HIV Care Desmond Tutu Health Foundation Prof. Norbert Ndjeka dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-0…

In JAMA Internal Medicine today, 2 new papers on #LongCovid, one a systematic meta-analysis showing protection associated with vaccination--a 43% reduction, and the other with Paxlovid--a 26% reduction I wrote about this w/context in a new @Substack post erictopol.substack.com

Thanks Spotlight for the opportunity to write an op-ed on the TB Recovery Plan. More here: ⬇️ #ThinkTB #YesWeCanEndTB National Department of Health The Aurum Institute TB HIV Care @ruvandhi Helene-Mari van der Westhuizen Ingrid Schoeman r e n i e r The Union TBPPM Learning Network Stop TB Partnership

Summary of data supporting less #LongCovid with Omicron and its subvariants (along with more immunity built via vaccinations, infections, and their combinations) science.org/content/articl… News from Science Science Magazine by J Couzin-Frankel

#YesWeCanEndTB #PLHIVSector #WTBD2023

SPOTLIGHT on #WorldTBDay2023. Yes! We can end TB in SA. SECTION27 TAC SANAC yogan pillay Prof. Norbert Ndjeka Gaurang Tanna National Department of Health Lindiwe Mvusi Francois Venter Linda-Gail Bekker Fareed Abdullah TBThinkTank South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative TB HIV Care TBProof dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-0…

#WorldTBDay2023. New Guidelines Are a Step Forward for SA's TB Response. SECTION27 TAC TBThinkTank Marcus Low Gaurang Tanna yogan pillay Prof. Norbert Ndjeka Lindiwe Mvusi Fareed Abdullah allafrica.com/stories/202303… via allAfrica.com

This #WorldTBDay, #YesWeCanEndTB by effectively practicing the national guidelines to treat TB & by providing guidance for implementation, patient management once TPT is initiated, monitoring and evaluation criteria. #YesWeCanEndTB Read guidelines here: bit.ly/3ZGBM0h

“Each person diagnosed with TB should receive quality family-centred TB counselling by trained health workers so that people can be supported throughout their TB journey to overcome difficulties such as TB stigma or depression.” - Ingrid Schoeman #ThinkTB #EndTB #YesWeCanEndTB

If you are in Jozi or can get there…..

Using #AI to predict and ultimately prevent aortic dissection Our new The Lancet digital medicine essay thelancet.com/journals/lance… @MarkELindsay Patrick Ellinor James Pirruccello

South Africa’s first Covid-19 Antigen Self-test launched. Today, the Medical Diagnostech (Pty) Ltd announces the launch of South Africa’s first Covid-19 Antigen Self-test with companion mobile phone application, HealthPulse TestNow. samrc.ac.za/media-release/…

.UNAIDS Global welcomes the MedicinesPatentPool ViiV Healthcare announcement of 3 licenses signed with generic manufacturers for long-acting PrEP. It's vital & urgent that long-acting HIV prevention medicines are made available and affordable everywhere they are needed. unaids.org/en/resources/p…

SPOTLIGHT's Faces of Health: Meet Professor Rudo Mathivha. SECTION27 Biénne Huisman equitableaccess_russrensburg Fareed Abdullah Francois Venter Wits Faculty of Health Sciences Gauteng Health “It’s not about me, it’s about the patient that I’m helping”, says head of trauma at Bara spotlightnsp.co.za/2023/04/03/fac…