12 August 2015

The Donald Woods Foundation has been identified as one of two South African locations to host engagement tours during the upcoming 46th Union World Conference on Lung Health.

The conference is due to take place in Cape Town on 30 November 2015.

Delegates have the option of engagement tours in Durban or in East London, where the DWF works closely with the provincial health department and the Lilly Foundation to tackle drug-resistant TB.

The engagement tour will afford conference delegates the opportunity to experience and visit an area which has been particularly hard hit by TB.

“The engagement tours will expose delegates to the urban and semi-urban context in South Africa and will help depict the importance of NGOs in addressing health issues in collaboration with private sector and provincial Department of Health.” – Lilly Global Health said.

In East London, the tour will focus on three critical areas of engagement – prisons, schools and taxi ranks.

DWF will provide delegates with site visits to their project sites in the Buffalo City region, comprised of urban and semi-urban settings. Here, delegates will see activities in schools which include prevention, screening, and fast-track support for TB treatment initiation with the learners.

Visits will include discussions with trained peer educators and clinic staff trained to address the deep stigma that still exists with the disease. Delegates will also engage with taxi ranks, which are key to curbing TB in South African as taxis are the main mode of transport used by people affected by poverty. The focus at the ranks is on awareness and screening of taxi drivers.

Finally, delegates will visit at least one prison where DWF ensures that inmates are screened and tested and where the Foundation run support group sessions for those with TB.