With tuberculosis (TB) and TB related deaths being a leading cause of death in South Africa, Parow is proud to be the home to one of Africa’s top TB facilities, TASK Applied Science.
Situated off Voortrekker Road in Smith Street, Parow, the once derelict building – which used to cause much concern for the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District (VRCID) – had a complete refurbishment at the beginning of this year and was recently announced the official headquarters of TASK.
“The VRCID is proud to boast three task sites within our boundaries, adding to the growing medical hub that continues to evolve in Bellville and Parow,” said Derek Bock, the VRCID Chief Operations Officer.
The necessity for quality TB research continues to be a top medical priority in South Africa, with 22 000 TB-related deaths, and an additional 56 000 TB and HIV deaths recorded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2017.
The state-of-the-art TASK building consists of a Bio Safety Level 3 laboratory (one of the newest in Africa), training and lecture facilities, administration offices for the entire TASK organization and a retro-style cafeteria, which will soon be accessible to the public in the area.
“Due to the nature of research, all of these spaces are maintained according to strict international and government regulations,” explains Marthalize Van der Westhuizen, PR and Building Manager for TASK Applied Science.
TASK’s main focus is to improve the lives of citizens through developing advancements in health care, with a particular focus on combatting and preventing the spread of TB.
“A message we continue to seed in the communities is that TB is curable and preventable if treated timeously and correctly,” added Van der Westhuizen.
Bock concluded, “With the VRCID’s mandate to remove grime, combat crime and uplift the communities that fall within our precinct, we cannot thank TASK enough for the crucial role they play in educating and informing our local communities on the disease.”
