News
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) will host the Annual TB Managers Meeting from 23–24 October 2025 at The Capital Empire Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. This annual gathering will bring together National TB Programme (NTP) Managers, development partners, and regional health leaders to review progress, share lessons, and strengthen collaboration in the fight against tuberculosis (TB). The LIGHT Consortium will also leverage this platform to promote regional dialogue on gendered pathways to TB control, advancing evidence-based and gender-sensitive approaches aligned with the SADC End TB Strategy and global health commitments.
The SADC region bears one of the world’s highest TB burdens, with several Member States such as South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and Lesotho among the 30 high TB burden countries globally. Despite significant progress in expanding access to diagnosis and treatment, gaps persist, particularly among men and other underserved populations. This year’s meeting will review and validate regional TB data, assess progress toward End TB targets, and finalize the SADC TB Report 2025 for presentation at the upcoming SADC Health Ministers Meeting in November. A central focus of the discussions will be on integrating gender-sensitive policies and interventions into TB programmes to ensure inclusive, equitable, and effective TB control efforts across the region.
The two-day meeting will feature evidence-sharing sessions, country presentations, and strategic discussions led by experts and partners, including WHO, Global Fund, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the LIGHT Consortium.
Notable speakers include :
Prof. Jeremiah Chakaya – LIGHT Consortium (Kenya)
Dr Kuzani Mbendera – National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Elimination Programme (Malawi)
Prof. Norbert Ndjeka – National Department of Health (South Africa)
Dr Katherine Horton – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The session moderators will be
Dr Brenda Mungai – LIGHT Consortium (Kenya)
Ms Phumeza Tisile – TB Proof (South Africa)
The meeting aims to validate the 2025 SADC TB Report, develop a regional statement with policy recommendations on gender-responsive programming, and finalise the 2026 End TB Committee Workplan.
LIGHT Consortium is a six-year cross-disciplinary global health research programme, funded by UK aid, and led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) in collaboration with partners in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, and the UK. LIGHT aims to support policy and practice in transforming gendered pathways to health for people with TB in urban settings. This will lead to enhanced overall health and well-being, improved socio-economic outcomes, equity, and will contribute to the efforts of ending TB by 2030