To mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on the uptake of TB services, our HIV/TB project in Khayelitsha in Western Cape province provided home-based care to patients. They also gave TB preventive treatment to more than 150 individuals who were exposed to the disease in their homes.
In the cities of Tshwane and Johannesburg, where we run a migrant health project, we supported COVID-19 vaccination activities for undocumented persons. For these marginalized groups, the lack of any identifying documentation poses a barrier to health care. To facilitate better access to medical services, we worked with our partners to develop ‘Green Book’ health care cards, which are recognized by local health authorities in lieu of identifying documentation. In June, we handed over our sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) project in Rustenburg on South Africa’s Platinum Belt to the provincial health department. Recognizing the need for a better medical and psychological response to rape, MSF teams developed community-based health hubs, which provided care to thousands of SGBV victims. The project additionally supported safe abortion care in Bojanala district, with our staff performing thousands of abortion procedures between 2018 and 2021.
