“Male privilege and entitlement are dying a very painful death; no one gives up power without a struggle.”
Gloria Allred, American women’s rights attorney notable for taking high-profile and often controversial cases, particularly those involving the protection of women’s rights.
Monday, 1 October
SECTION27 today submitted its response to the Provisional Report of the Health Market Inquiry into the private healthcare sector. As an organisation that acts in the public interest, we are concerned about equitable access to health care services in the private sector, particularly, pricing and the drivers of the high cost of health care in the private health care sector. Read our submission here SECTION27 HMI submission on provisional report 1 October 2018.
Also read this article in News24 which appeared last week https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/have-your-say-on-sas-private-healthcare-industry-20180926
Senior Researcher, Daniel McLaren will make a statement to the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Committee on our submission, which focused on the impact of government’s austerity policy on the rights to health care and education. It showed that alternatives to this policy are possible. The meeting takes place in Geneva from 1 to 5 October.
SECTION27 welcomes Nkululeko Conco as an attorney in the health team, where he will be involved in advocacy, resource development and strategic litigation. Nkululeko has recently relocated from KwaZulu-Natal where he was in private practice, primarily dealing with civil and commercial litigation, estates, and commercial work. He was admitted as an attorney in 2014.
Tuesday 2 October
As part of his presence in Geneva, Daniel will also be attending a private briefing with the UN Committee to further advocate for our position. Daniel will also be attending the government’s hearings – the first time the South African government has appeared before this Committee – to monitor and hold the government delegation to its commitments.
Wednesday 3 -4 October
Community Mobiliser, Patrick Mdletshe will be attending a USAID partners meeting in Pretoria along with government officials, other civil society organisations who represent different communities and implementing organisations. He will be speaking on adherence strategies and models to retain men on treatment.
Thursday 4 October
Executive Director, Mark Heywood will participate in a panel at the Joburg Indaba looking at how Community Engagement is done effectively. The Joburg Indaba is a mining industry platform where industry leaders engage in robust conversations about the future of mining.
The session which starts at 2pm will be chaired by Lucas Moalusi, Senior Partner, Fasken. Panellists also include John Capel, Executive Director, Bench Marks Foundation; Mogale Mashilane, General Manager, Marula Mine, Impala Platinum and Thabisile Phumo, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Sibanye – Stillwater.
Friday 5 October
Researcher Thuthukile Mbatha will present at a Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights Seminar hosted by the University of KwaZulu Natal’s HIV/AIDS Programme in partnership with SECTION27. The purpose of this seminar is to share evidence-based information in mitigation of the adverse sexual and reproductive health outcomes that threaten to undermine youth in terms of their well-being, future opportunities and ability to contribute to the societies in which they live.
The seminar will take place at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine – Susser Stein; K-RITH Building; 719 Umbilo Road from 08:00 to 15:30. Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim, a leading epidemiologist known for her many contributions to AIDS research, and former SECTION27 board member, and Associate Scientific Director of the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), will be the keynote speaker. Key participants in the seminar will be academics, researchers, practitioners, government departments, civil society and students.The event will be live streamed on the UKZN web site and Facebook page.
Head of Health Sasha Stevenson and legal researcher, Tendai Mafuma will attend a meeting with the Mental Health Alliance to discuss the ramifications of the National Health Insurance Bill on the delivery of mental health services in the public sector. T
The week that was
At the Zondo Commission on State Capture, Advocate Brian Currin named Mark Heywood as someone who played a role in bringing the #GuptaLeaks to light. Read Mark’s statement on the role he played.
A team from SECTION27 travelled to Ralebedu Senior Secondary School to deliver sanitary pads to learners and conduct a Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights workshop. The sanitary pads distribution forms part of the SECTON27’s support of the Trek4Mandela which saw Head of Communications Ntsiki Mpulo summit Mount Kilimanjaro on 18 July 2018.
On Friday 27 September 2018, SECTION27 filed a response to the structural order made against the Department of Education in Limpopo in the Rosina Komape and others versus the Limpopo Department of Education. In our reply we contend that the Department relies on inaccurate information in relation to the number of schools that have “sanitation needs” in the province. In addition, the defendants have not advised the criteria they applied in identifying the schools “with sanitation needs”. Read the full papers here.
In Spotlight:
About your stimulus, Mr President
Spotlight has written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa reminding him of the widespread corruption in the health system and showing where he can look to save some money for his stimulus package.
Money will show how serious the BRICS are about TB
Whether or not the BRICS puts new money on the table for TB research, is a crucial test of whether the United Nations High-Level Meeting on TB represents a new dawn in the fight against TB, or just empty rhetoric.
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