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The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Office for South Africa in collaboration with the National Department of Health (NDoH) and the Limpopo Provincial Department of Health, conducted an integrated Leprosy Case Management and Mass Drug Administration (MDA) Training Workshop in Tzaneen, Limpopo Province, from 26 to 28 January 2026.

The workshop formed part of South Africa's efforts to advance the control and elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), in line with the WHO NTD Roadmap 2021–2030 and Sustainable Development Goal target 3.3.

While leprosy prevalence in South Africa remains low, sporadic cases continue to occur, underscoring the need for sustained capacity in early detection, effective treatment, and prevention of disability. In parallel, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) remain endemic in several provinces, particularly affecting school-aged children and underserved communities. As the country prepares to scale up MDA using WHO-donated medicines, strengthening provincial and district readiness is critical.

The three-day workshop focused on improving technical and operational capacity for leprosy diagnosis and case management, promoting stigma reduction and referral pathways, and strengthening planning and implementation for safe and effective MDA. Participants also worked on developing provincial and district microplans to support programme rollout.

The workshop had 70 multi-disciplinary participants, which included provincial and district health officials, clinicians, environmental health practitioners, pharmacists, and programme managers. Technical facilitation was provided by WHO experts, the National Department of Health, academic institutions, The Leprosy Mission South Africa and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases. Mr Patrick Hlungwani from the National Department of Health emphasised the need to strengthen leprosy surveillance and reinforce multisectoral stakeholder collaboration to ensure the successful implementation of the MDA.

Dr Dhruv Pandey, Medical Officer, Tropical and Vector Borne Diseases Multicounty Assignment Team working with WHO in Southern Africa, underscored the urgency by saying that: “Schistosomiasis and STH control require sustained, multi-sectoral commitment. Integrating MDA into existing platforms is essential to reach vulnerable populations efficiently, in line with the WHO NTD Roadmap.”

The workshop strengthened coordination, readiness, and technical capacity, contributing to South Africa's broader commitment to equitable access to NTD prevention and care, and coinciding with preparations for the World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day.

Together, these efforts highlight South Africa's continued leadership in advancing the prevention, control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - South Africa.

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The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the National Department of Health (NDoH), and the Border Management Authority (BMA) successfully concluded South Africa's first ever Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) for Points of Entry (PoE) Frontline staff from 26–30 January 2026 in Johannesburg. This inaugural cohort marks a historic advancement in national border health surveillance and frontline detection capacities.

“This ceremony marks more than the completion of a training programme; it represents an important step forward in strengthening South Africa's public health security—your journey has been both demanding and transformative.” — Ms. Shenaaz El-Halabi, WHO Representative.

This first of its kind initiative was designed to strengthen capacity for outbreak detection, surveillance and rapid response to public health threats at PoE and across provinces. The twelve weeks training followed a rigorous cycle that began with curriculum adaptation to suit PoE nature of work and staffing in October 2025 and included three workshops, two phases of fieldwork and sustained mentorship from WHO and NICD Technical Officers. The full cycle ran from 3 November 2025 to 30 January 2026.

Broadly, participants completed modules covering POE surveillance, traveler screening, reporting pathways and International Health Regulations (IHR) obligations, complemented by applied epidemiology projects, real-time site assessments and field based exercises. The PoE FETP curriculum covered foundational epidemiology, border health surveillance, data management and analysis, emergency preparedness, and full outbreak investigation skills. It also built strong competencies in applied epidemiology through case studies, problem analysis, laboratory linkages, scientific writing, communication, and preparation of documentation through group and individual work.

Speaking on the importance of mentorship and frontline vigilance, the NICD Director of South African FETP and AFENET Board Chair, Dr. Lazarus Kuonza, reminded the cohort:

“Your role at our borders is vital—every alert you detect and every decision you make protects the entire nation. Continue mentoring others, because strengthening each colleague strengthens South Africa's first line of defense against cross border disease threats.”

The NDoH Chief Director for Environmental Health and Port Health Services, Ms. Aneliswa Cele as the leader who envisions the future of PoE capacity, emphasized the need to build on this achievement: “Let us not end here — we need to expand this training to more officials and integrate the skills gained into routine surveillance and response functions at Points of Entry. Let us not lose the momentum we have started.” Her message reinforces the commitment to sustained capacity building within border environments. 

Echoing this forward focused vision, Ms. Funeka Bongweni, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the BMA, highlighted the sector's long-term aspirations: 

“From this work we want to see a growing contribution to the body of knowledge for Ports of Entry—this is only the beginning in laying a strong foundation.”

As South Africa's first POE FETP frontline cohort, graduates are now equipped to enhance routine surveillance, improve early detection and reporting, support outbreak investigations and contribute to future training cycles through mentorship.

WHO, NDoH, NICD and BMA congratulate the pioneering cohort and extend appreciation to all facilitators, mentors and partners whose dedication made this milestone possible. Together, we advance towards a more resilient South Africa, capable of detecting and responding to public health threats at every point of entry.

This milestone was made possible through the Pandemic Fund-supported project.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO) - South Africa.