Who We Are | TB Proof

Our Mission

Combining stories and science to make the world TB Proof.

We don’t want a single person to get sick with Tuberculosis. That is what it means to end TB and have a TB Proof world.

We aim to achieve that through combining stories and science. Through involving communities affected by TB and using the latest research, we advocate for high quality TB prevention and care.

Our Mission

Combining stories and science to make the world TB Proof.

We don’t want a single person to get sick with Tuberculosis. That is what it means to end TB and have a TB Proof world.

We aim to achieve that through combining stories and science. Through involving communities affected by TB and using the latest research, we advocate for high quality TB prevention and care.

TB Proof aims to

Build advocacy capacity

Build advocacy capacity among TB affected communities and provide platforms where they can contribute to improving TB prevention and care.

Mobilize resources for TB

Mobilize resources for TB prevention and care through community activism and evidence based advocacy in collaboration with national and global partners.

Reduce TB stigma

Destigmatize all forms of TB through interventions aimed at improving TB knowledge in communities and by encouraging affected people to share their experiences.

Make health facilities safe

Advocate for safe healthcare environments for health workers and communities.

Pursue health equity

Pursue health equity by advocating for person centred, high quality TB prevention and care for everyone affected by TB.

History

TB Proof was started in 2012 by health workers who developed occupational TB and students passionate about TB prevention.

Our initial focus was on preventing the spread of TB in healthcare facilities through advocacy and education. Since then, we have expanded our advocacy efforts to include access to high quality TB treatment, addressing stigma and improving support to people affected by TB. We are using our strengths as an advocacy organization to support community health workers as TB champions who are now also fighting against COVID-19 transmission in our communities.

Staff

Ingrid Schoeman | Director

I was hospitalised for 75 days, of which a month was in ICU as I developed liver failure and went into a coma. The health care team was very kind to me. I had excellent clinical care, and lots of love and support from family and friends, but I felt so overwhelmed that I wanted to give up.

At that time, I was so weak that I could not walk. It made me think- how to the majority of people in South Africa, who don’t even have food on the table to eat, manage to get through this?

I am grateful that I survived and for all the support along this difficult journey of two years. I am proud to be part of TB Proof and to advocate for accessible, affordable, available and acceptable quality TB care.

Candy Jacobs |
Project Manager

I am a Registered Dietitian with a Master’s degree in Public Health. My career has been driven by a deep commitment to improving the health outcomes of vulnerable populations, including those affected by tuberculosis.

My passion for TB advocacy originated from my experiences in the rural northwest, where I witnessed the devastating effects of tuberculosis on individuals, families and communities.

I am dedicated to enhancing the well-being of those impacted by tuberculosis and contributing to a healthier society by advocating for quality TB prevention and care.

Michelle Galloway | Administrator

I have been a part of the TB Proof team since August 2017. Having studied Dietetics, I developed a passion for TB advocacy whilst working in the hospitals as part of my 4th year Internship.

Seeing the struggles of patients and health care workers alike motivated me to become involved with advocacy for better TB care.

Phumeza Tisile | Advocacy Officer

I am a 30-year-old (2020) and live in Cape Town. In 2010, I was diagnosed with tuberculosis and was forced to stop my studies at Cape Peninsula University of
Technology to go for treatment.

Despite this my condition did not improve, and after about five months of treatment, first for “normal” TB and then for multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), I was finally diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), the deadliest form of the disease.

Goodman Makanda | Advocacy Officer

I am a DR-TB survivor and passionate TB activist from Khayelitsha, Cape Town.

I want my TB journey to inspire others that are currently on TB treatment to keep fighting and to do advocacy for better TB treatment and diagnostic tools.

Rachel Mbuyamba | Research Support Officer

I am a public health researcher with a master’s degree in public health. I am passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of people with tuberculosis (TB).

My work focuses on investigating and addressing the health disparities that contribute to the high burden of TB in marginalized communities.

I am committed to using my skills to make a difference in the lives of people with TB. I am confident that by working together, we can end TB and improve the health of all people.

Siyavuya Bunyula | Admin Assistant

My name is Siyavuya Bunyula, a student at Nelson Mandela University, also a young man who loves sports, my passion for sports started when I noticed that people use it as a tool to destress and a place where they can fully express their feelings and keep their bodies healthy.

As we all know, a strong immune system is the first step in defeating any illness. Being part of TB Proof has inspired me to teach people, especially my teammates about TB and not discriminate against people with TB rather give them support, anyone can get TB.

Buci Beko |
Advocacy Officer

I was diagnosed with TB while I was pregnant. I was scared that the treatment that I am taking might end up hurting him. It was found after 5 months on sensitive TB treatment that I actually had Drug-Resistant TB.

I was very sick and lost hope that I would not make it. I unfortunately infected my child and was also diagnosed with Drug-Resistant TB while he was 5 months old.

The journey was not easy for both of us as the treatment that I was taking was having severe side effects and was not child friendly. I have to break and dissolve medication for him and sometimes feel that I was overdosing him. I felt that I was set up to fail. He was diagnosed with asthma when he was 1 year old and made life very difficult for both of us. We both managed to get cured through all the treatment challenges that we went through.

Through my TB journey I started to advocate for better treatment, better patient support and better resources to End TB.

Advocacy Consultants

Janet Giddy

I am a Family Physician with a Master’s in Public Health and experience in Rural Health Care, Primary Healthcare, HIV & TB, maternal and child health, and health worker education. I have been involved in research on HIV, TB and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission.

I am married and a mother of 4 adult children and I have 2 grandsons.

Renier Coetzee

I am a trained clinical pharmacist, currently an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health (University of the Western Cape). I currently serves on various local and national department of health committees.

My current research focus is on Patient Safety and Quality Care, with a special interest in the rational use of medicines. Using the social accountability framework, I am collaborating with various role players and stakeholders to engage with communities to strengthen the health care systems.

Board Members

Ruvandhi Nathavitharana | Chairperson

When addressing diseases such as TB, it is essential that clinicians and scientists also have a dual role as activists to ensure that scientific advances benefit everyone.

As an infectious diseases clinician scientist and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, I am passionate about contributing knowledge and insights gained from my clinical practice (in the U.S.) and research (in South Africa and Peru) to use evidence-based advocacy to improve the care of all people affected by TB.

I am proud of the work that TB Proof does to amplify the voices of TB survivors and affected communities who should be front and centre of our social, economic and political responses to end TB.

Helene-Mari van der Westhuizen | Vice - Chair

As doctor working in South Africa, I saw the impact of TB every single day. Every time I hear someone cough, TB is what I think of as an automatic reflex.

But when I treat someone with TB, it is also a reflex to think of the personal experiences of many of my TB Proof colleagues. They have brave stories of combating stigma, persevering through debilitating treatment side effects and offering their stories of hope to others.

This has motivated me to research how to prevent the spread of TB, especially in rural areas in South Africa.

Peter Ngo’la Owiti | Treasurer

I am the founder and executive
director for Wote Youth Development Projects, a youth
Community Based HIV/TB
advocacy organization which
advocates against the spread of
Tuberculosis HIV and AIDS
through drama, dance and
edutainment in Makueni County, Kenya.

I have been personally affected by TB at household level and have experience in patient support and care having been involved in nursing my son, nephew and late sister, who all had TB.

Renier Coetzee | Community Engagement and Research

I am a trained clinical pharmacist, currently an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health (University of the Western Cape).

I currently serves on various local and national department of health committees. My current research focus is on Patient Safety and Quality Care, with a special interest in the rational use of medicines.

Using the social accountability framework, I am collaborating with various role players and stakeholders to engage with communities to strengthen the health care systems.

Erika Mohr-Holland

I have a Master’s Degree in Public Health and have been supporting the South African TB programme for nearly 12 years. My passion for TB advocacy stems from my extensive work in TB prevention, treatment, and research, both at the community and policy levels.

Throughout my career — whether through my work with TB Proof, MSF, the City of Cape Town, or the National TB Think Tank—I have focused on integrating patient-centered approaches, operational research, and policy advocacy to drive impactful change with the TB programme.

I have witnessed first-hand how poverty and inequity, lack of access to healthcare, and social stigma contribute to the continued spread of TB, reinforcing my commitment to tackling these systemic barriers.

Ilsa Haeusler |
Proposal Writing

I am a paediatric doctor and TB researcher working in London.

There is so much we don’t
understand about TB…but there is also so much we DO
understand. We have a
responsibility to use this
knowledge and work together,
with strong and committed
leadership, to move toward a TB free world.

We can all work on getting the basics right – equitable and timely access to
diagnostics, treatment and
compassionate care.

Thabo Robert Pelesane

I was diagnosed with TB more than once. In 2008, I experienced internal bleeding and almost lost my right lung. That experience made me realise just how deadly TB can be, if one ignores treatment.

Being a national TB ambassador, I use my TB survivor story to inform the public that anyone that breathes, can get TB. We should not stigmatise against TB, it can happen to anyone.

I am also the founder of the Thabo Pelesane Foundation, which aims to raise awareness about TB and which distributes sanitary pads to young girls.

Core Group Volunteer Members

Ananja van der Westhuizen

As a health care worker in South Africa, TB is an important and unavoidable conversation. I aim to raise awareness about the important role that infection prevention and control plays in preventing health care workers from contracting TB in the workplace.

I hope to reduce the stigma associated with a diagnosis of TB by empowering others and sharing stories of people from all corners of the earth who have been affected by TB. Let’s keep talking until nobody has to die from a disease that is curable.

Andrea von Delft

As a physiotherapist, I knew about TB, but not enough. I was generally thinking, “it’s out there.”

It wasn’t until my husband, a medical doctor, was diagnosed with TB, that I realise that anyone can get TB and that health workers are particular at risk of contracting TB.

Arne von Delft

I experienced the horror of dealing with DR-TB as a supporting husband, clinician, and an infected contact.

My wife, Dalene, also a doctor, received optimal access to care for occupational MDR-TB, including first-ever compassionate access to hearing- and career-saving bedaquiline, but I still await safe and effective DR-TB preventive treatment options.

We co-founded TB Proof to advocate for improved prevention and care for all people affected by TB, and to end all forms of stigma and discrimination.

Bart Willems

In 2012, I swam four and a half laps of the Long Street pool in Cape Town entirely under water. When I surfaced, I covered a distance of 114 m and have broken the South African freediving record.

This win was made extra special by the fact that I recovered from TB five years earlier.

Koot Kotze

Being part of TB Proof has been an opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded advocates aiming for the same goal. It has been special to see this organisation grow from 2013 and I have learnt so much from the rest of the TB Proof family.

Support our work – it is making a difference!

Peter Ngo’la Owiti

I am the founder and executive
director for Wote Youth
Development Projects, a youth
Community Based HIV/TB
advocacy organization which
advocates against the spread of
Tuberculosis HIV and AIDS
through drama, dance and
edutainment in Makueni County, Kenya.

I have been personally affected by TB at household level and have experience in patient support and care having been involved in nursing my son,
nephew and late sister, who all
had TB.

Rachel Mbuyamba

I am a public health researcher with a master’s degree in public health. I am passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of people with tuberculosis (TB).

My work focuses on investigating and addressing the health disparities that contribute to the high burden of TB in marginalized communities.

I am committed to using my skills to make a difference in the lives of people with TB. I am confident that by working together, we can end TB and improve the health of all people.

Thato Mosidi

I have had XDR TB and received both bedaquiline and linezolid as part of my treatment regimen (in the compassionate use programme).

The aspect of TB Proof that I find truly valuable, and that sets us apart from other organisations, is the personal experiences that we have had with TB. The patient advocacy that originates from our journeys is unparalleled.

Instead of just telling our stories of surviving TB, we have been more effective by placing ourselves in strategic groups and affecting policy directly.

Zolelwa Sifumba

I contracted TB as a medical
student while doing clinical
rotations in hospitals in Cape
Town. In October 2012, I was
diagnosed with Multidrug
Resistant Tuberculosis Lymphadenitis and had to take TB treatment for about 2 years.

Being diagnosed with TB came as a huge shock for as I didn’t have any of the risk factors associated with TB, except that I was a healthcare worker, working in hospitals where infection control measures aren’t always implemented.

Thabo Robert Pelesane

I was diagnosed with TB more
than once. In 2008, I experienced internal bleeding and almost lost my right lung. That experience made me realise just how deadly TB can be, if one ignores treatment.

Being a national TB ambassador, I use my TB survivor story to inform the public that anyone that breathes, can get TB.’We should not stigmatise against
TB, it can happen to anyone.

I am also the founder of the
Thabo Pelesane Foundation,
which aims to raise awareness
about TB and which distributes
sanitary pads to young girls.

Phindile Khumalo

I am a proud community health worker and TB survivor. I use my story of defeating TB to encourage other TB patients to not give up the fight against TB and to continue taking their treatment.

Together, we can #EndTB.

Dalene von Delft

I was diagnosed with MDR-TB on Christmas Eve of 2010. What followed was a harrowing 19 months of treatment, during which I had to make some potentially life-threatening decisions in an attempt to preserve my hearing and career.

I had optimal access to all forms of care, but the vast majority of other patients are not nearly as lucky.

I became a very motivated TB patient/physician advocate, campaigning for more effective, safer and equitable treatment options on local and global platforms.

Awards

Are you passionate about ending TB? Then, we would like to hear from you!

Our group of members include passionate TB activists, TB survivors, healthcare workers and community members. Click Here to find out more information about our membership terms and conditions. This document describes the Core Group membership and the difference regarding Wider Group membership.

Once you have finished reading the terms of reference and would like to be a TB Proof member, please complete the online TB Proof Member Application Form, Click Here. Once we’ve received your application, we will be in touch as soon as possible.

Our Mission

Our Mission

TB Proof aims to

Build advocacy capacity

Mobilize resources for TB

Reduce TB stigma

Make health facilities safe

Pursue health equity

History

Staff

Ingrid Schoeman | Director

Candy Jacobs |Project Manager

Michelle Galloway | Administrator

Phumeza Tisile | Advocacy Officer

Goodman Makanda | Advocacy Officer

Rachel Mbuyamba | Research Support Officer

Siyavuya Bunyula | Admin Assistant

Buci Beko | Advocacy Officer

Advocacy Consultants

Janet Giddy

Renier Coetzee

Board Members

Ruvandhi Nathavitharana | Chairperson

Helene-Mari van der Westhuizen | Vice - Chair

Peter Ngo’la Owiti | Treasurer

Renier Coetzee | Community Engagement and Research

Erika Mohr-Holland

Ilsa Haeusler | Proposal Writing

Thabo Robert Pelesane

Core Group Volunteer Members

Ananja van der Westhuizen

Andrea von Delft

Arne von Delft

Bart Willems

Koot Kotze

Peter Ngo’la Owiti

Rachel Mbuyamba

Thato Mosidi

Zolelwa Sifumba

Thabo Robert Pelesane

Phindile Khumalo

Dalene von Delft

Awards

Candy Jacobs |
Project Manager

Buci Beko |
Advocacy Officer

Ilsa Haeusler |
Proposal Writing