Professor Anneke Hesseling said she felt “privileged and humbled" when she recently received honorary membership to the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.

The Union is a pre-eminent international body working towards “a healthier world for all, free of tuberculosis (TB) and lung diseases", with a focus on vulnerable people. More recently, it has become the main global platform dealing with childhood TB and lung disease.

Hesseling, a distinguished professor, is the director of the Desmond Tutu Tuberculosis Centre (DTTC) and a global expert on paediatric tuberculosis. She said that her membership to the Union was particularly poignant for two reasons. “Firstly, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, after whom our centre is named, died just after Christmas last year. This is a wonderful acknowledgement of the man who shared his name with us and wholeheartedly supported our work. The DTTC is celebrating the life of the Archbishop in March so this, to me, is part of the celebration. It is quite lovely, just after his passing, that we have something else to celebrate his life.

“Secondly, I am turning 50 this year, so, I am now formally middle aged! In a milestone year like this, it's great to have this recognition from the Union.

“This membership is not about me personally but about the work which the DTTC has done. When you work in research, it is never about the individual but about the group."

Hesseling said it was humbling to be among the other highly accomplished people who have received honorary membership to the Union in recognition of their work in the field of TB and lung disease.

Hesseling said the Union has always had a strong focus on lower- and middle- income countries, and shared pragmatic knowledge that strengthens knowledge and capacity building.

“The Union comprises a small group of wonderful people who have been acknowledged for their work. They are a community of people who know the importance of increasing knowledge and funding related to the critical issue of childhood TB and lung health. It is a wonderful family to be part of.

Hesseling, who completed her medical training at Stellenbosch University, holds an MSc from Columbia University and a PhD from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

She has been conducting clinical TB research in children in settings with a high burden of TB and HIV for more than a decade.

Her research programme focuses on improved and safe TB preventive strategies for HIV-infected and uninfected children through chemotherapy and vaccination; improved treatment strategies for drug-susceptible and resistant TB disease, including pharmacokinetic studies; and improved TB diagnosis in HIV-infected and uninfected children, including biomarker research. She is actively involved in clinical research and advocacy to involve children in trials of new TB drugs and treatment strategies.

Hesseling explained: “Honorary membership is like a lifetime achievement award for your services to the field. It's about a thank you for the contribution to the Union. I have served the organisation in various capacities – including on the editorial board and I look forward to my ongoing involvement."

She said the work of the Union is particularly important at this time. “The Covid pandemic has resulted in huge losses to the gains made for TB globally and this is largely because of funding. Funds have been diverted to Covid and this has resulted in the loss of many achievements in tackling TB.

“For the first time in ten years, we now have a decrease in people diagnosed with TB and an increase in TB mortality. Due to Covid, fewer people were able to get their diagnoses for TB.

“TB has been with us for thousands of years. Covid is new. Efforts to combat Covid should not be at the cost of dealing with TB.

“We have more than ten vaccines against Covid because of the billions that have been invested. There is just one vaccine for TB. If we invested that same amount of effort into TB, we would find a vaccine."

Hesseling vowed that she would, as a member of the Union, continue to advocate for a focus on TB and lung health and to ensure they remain on the global agenda.