Health response teams to be deployed to address typhoid cases

The Minister said the department is “optimistic” that the National Health Insurance Bill be supported in Parliament.

Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla says the department will deploy Outbreak Response Teams in Gauteng and the Western Cape to address the typhoid outbreak.

Minister Phaahla was speaking during a post-State of the Nation Address media briefing by government’s social cluster of departments.

The Minister said the move was to ensure that the current crop of cases are followed up and managed.

He also moved to dispel rumours and fake news that the disease has contaminated drinking water.

“There has been misguided news that our municipal water is contaminated with this bacteria. This is totally untrue. What we want to emphasise is that there is no public risk in terms of contamination of drinking [water],” he said.

The number of cases of typhoid fever in the country has been on the decline for the last few years.

“Typhoid is endemic in South Africa which means that whenever there is always some small breakout of typhoid whenever there’s a problem with the sewer system when things are not properly managed.

“What the National Institute of Communicable Diseases has indicated, is that over the last three years there have been pockets of this disease being picked up. On average, there’s been less than 200 cases in the whole country in a year. In fact, last year there was less than 150 cases,” he said.

National Health Insurance

The Minister said the department is “optimistic” that the National Health Insurance Bill be supported in Parliament.

The Bill seeks to map out a route for the provision of standardised healthcare.

“The Portfolio Committee on Health in the National Assembly is busy with oral submissions on the NHI Bill. From the department’s side, we are waiting for them to call the department once they’ve wrapped up their hearings.

“There will be questions which we will be expected to answer but we optimistic that majority of parties in Parliament will support the bill so that we can lay the foundation for universal health coverage,” he said. 

(With Inputs from South African Government Press Release)