City's TB initiative earns praise
By Anele Siwa
21 May 2008
A City of Cape Town plan to assist City clinics in getting patients to stick to TB treatments has earned both praise and recognition at the annual Impumelelo Trust prize-giving ceremony.
“The Cape Town-based Impumelelo Innovations Award Trust gives R1 million each year to 20 poverty reduction projects that, in innovative ways enhance the quality of life of poor communities,” says Councillor Martin Fienies.
According to Fienies the awards are premised on the belief that, while the government has the main responsibility for the delivery of social services, it cannot and should not shoulder this burden alone.
Fienies says the best and most efficient service delivery will only be achieved through partnership between government, the business community and civil society.
“The winning projects must therefore improve service delivery by facilitating such partnerships. One hundred and thirty-three applications were received for 2007/8 and each project was individually evaluated by independent evaluators,” he explained.
According to Fienies the final adjudication for 2007/8 was held at the City of Cape Town Council Chambers over two days in February. The judges selected 34 projects for awards.
“Tuberculosis persists as a significant public health problem, with Cape Town carrying 55% of the overall burden in the Western Cape and it was fitting that a local, TB-related project won a platinum award because it met all the criteria summed up in the word, ‘impumelelo’ which – in isiXhosa - means achieving success by working together,” says Fienies.
According to Dr Ivan Bromfield, the City’s Acting Executive Director in Health Department the urgency of the situation demanded an innovative response.
“A partnership was formed with TB Care Association, an independent non-governmental organization specializing in community based TB care and workplace support programs and the Provincial Government of Western Cape, Metro District Health Services,” says Fienies.
Unemployed community members had been engaged, trained and appointed, as TB assistants and TB clerks.
“The project now employs 62 TB assistants and 41 TB clerks at 33 clinics in Cape Town,” he added.
21 May 2008
A City of Cape Town plan to assist City clinics in getting patients to stick to TB treatments has earned both praise and recognition at the annual Impumelelo Trust prize-giving ceremony.
“The Cape Town-based Impumelelo Innovations Award Trust gives R1 million each year to 20 poverty reduction projects that, in innovative ways enhance the quality of life of poor communities,” says Councillor Martin Fienies.
According to Fienies the awards are premised on the belief that, while the government has the main responsibility for the delivery of social services, it cannot and should not shoulder this burden alone.
Fienies says the best and most efficient service delivery will only be achieved through partnership between government, the business community and civil society.
“The winning projects must therefore improve service delivery by facilitating such partnerships. One hundred and thirty-three applications were received for 2007/8 and each project was individually evaluated by independent evaluators,” he explained.
According to Fienies the final adjudication for 2007/8 was held at the City of Cape Town Council Chambers over two days in February. The judges selected 34 projects for awards.
“Tuberculosis persists as a significant public health problem, with Cape Town carrying 55% of the overall burden in the Western Cape and it was fitting that a local, TB-related project won a platinum award because it met all the criteria summed up in the word, ‘impumelelo’ which – in isiXhosa - means achieving success by working together,” says Fienies.
According to Dr Ivan Bromfield, the City’s Acting Executive Director in Health Department the urgency of the situation demanded an innovative response.
“A partnership was formed with TB Care Association, an independent non-governmental organization specializing in community based TB care and workplace support programs and the Provincial Government of Western Cape, Metro District Health Services,” says Fienies.
Unemployed community members had been engaged, trained and appointed, as TB assistants and TB clerks.
“The project now employs 62 TB assistants and 41 TB clerks at 33 clinics in Cape Town,” he added.
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