In recognising the important role entrusted to the Nursing Council (“the Council”) by the Nursing Act, 33 of 2005 (“the Act”), this submission is primarily concerned with ensuring that the process in terms of which members of the Council are appointed instills public confidence in that body.
South Africa has a strong legislative framework aimed at preventing HIV-related discrimination in the workplace.
Guidelines developed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Code of Good Practice on HIV/AIDS which is linked to the Employment Equity Act (EEA) provide useful information on the content of HIV workplace policies.
The ALP made a follow-up submission to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development regarding the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill. The submission was made on 15 August 2006 based on a new draft version of the bill.
In South Africa, as in any society, people’s health is a major factor in both personal and social development. But in South Africa, unlike many other societies, people have a constitutional right both to access health services and to be treated in a way that should improve their health. For example, the rights to dignity, authonomy and equality should all inform and have an impact on the right to health. But despite this, South Africa is a very unhealth society and many indicators of health are getting worse. The HIV epidemic, violence against women, and homelessness all have a negative impact on health.
This submission argues that there is a growing crisis of disease and ill health in South Africa that not only undermines the quality of life of millions of individuals, but also crucial programmes aimed at the reconstruction and development of the country. Much of this crisis could have been avoided. It results, in large part, from the failure of government to recognize the link between fundamental rights to dignity, equality and autonomy and the state’s constitutional obligations in respect of the right to have access to health care services.
In our submission to the Department of Science and Technology (DST) on the draft Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research Framework, we noted that “[w]hile we continue to advocate for the development of an intellectual property framework in South Africa that generally facilitates access to essential products, our primary concern is that the legislation and regulations . . . that will result from this process make particular provision for ensuring access to the products of research that were developed using public resources.”
A week after Cabinet adopted the Operational Plan for Comprehensive HIV and AIDS Care, Management and Treatment for South Africa (“the Operational Plan”) in November 2003, MM – an inmate at Westville Correctional Centre and the seventh applicant in the case of EN v Government of Republic of South Africa (No 1) – was diagnosed withoesophageal candidiasis, an AIDS-defining illness.
On Wednesday, 4th April 2007 the Constitutional Court handed down judgment on the case of NM & Others v Charlene Smith, Patricia De Lille, and New Africa Books. The case concerned the publication of the applicants’ full names and HIV status in the biography of Patricia De Lille, authored by Charlene Smith and published by New Africa Books, without their consent.
The ALP welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the Draft Regulations Relating to the Obtainance (sic) of information and Processes of Determination and Publication of Reference Lists (“draft regulations”).
The ALP accepts that there is a need to address inequity in access to private health care services as well as the need to contain and regulate costs in the private sector. For this reason regular and accurate information about health financing, service prices and business practice in the private sector is essential in determining both health policy as well as a fair and reasonable price for services and products. However, if the draft regulations are to give effect to the objective of obtaining such information then we believe that it should be significantly strengthened.
The ALP welcomes the opportunity to make a submission on the draft Medical Schemes Amendment Bill (“the draft Bill”) in so far as it deals with risk equalisation. We do so against the following background:
As a section 21 not-for-profit company and a registered law clinic, the AIDS Law Project (ALP) seeks to develop, implement and use laws and policies to protect and advance the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS. In so doing, it aims to ensure arights-based response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that it believes is best suited to reducing new HIV infections and minimising the negative social impact of AIDS. Part of the Centre for Applied Legal Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg from 1993 until 2006, the ALP – as an independent organisation – is now formerly associated with the Wits School of Law.
ALP 18 Month Review: January 2006 – June 2007