PUBLISHED BY: Daily Maverick WRITTEN BY: Jonathan West and Thato Gaffane Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue in South Africa – it is undermining constitutional rights by disrupting access to education, healthcare and other essential services. As floods become more frequent and severe, the government must urgently Continue Reading
Civil society organisations advocating for equitable access to healthcare in public facilities have launched an application at the South Gauteng High Court seeking immediate intervention to end the obstruction that has left vulnerable patients unable to access essential medical services. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), and Kopanang Continue Reading
WRITTEN BY: Jonathan West The climate crisis is no longer looming on the horizon; it is a dark storm cloud sitting above our heads. From relentless heatwaves to unprecedented floods, the signs are all around us, growing more urgent by the day. These extreme weather events are not just environmental Continue Reading
Basic education and health see gains, but austerity still prevails. The 2025 Budget maintains real investment in basic education and health care, reflecting a welcome stated commitment to funding these constitutionally protected rights as priorities. While this is a necessary step toward strengthening essential services; it comes at a cost. Continue Reading
Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in South Africa are dependant on immediate action. We are a coalition of organisations committed to ensuring access to healthcare services and human rights for all patients and communities in South Africa.
On 20 January 2025, the US President issued an Executive Order to pause all foreign aid funding for 90 days, which was immediately applied to the United States Government (USG) funded President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Launched in 2004, PEPFAR has been critical in global health efforts, saving Continue Reading
The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) has issued an e-Note confirming that pharmacists may not refuse to dispense abortifacients (a drug that induces abortion) due to personal beliefs or moral reasons. This e-Note comes after 13 NGOs and legal centres addressed an open letter to the SAPC and the National Continue Reading
The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, marked a critical test of the Government of National Unity’s (GNU) commitment to turning campaign promises into life-changing reality. Despite campaign promises for human rights realisation by the coalition partners, the MTBPS presented underscores the government’s commitment to maintaining Continue Reading
SECTION27 applauds yesterday’s decision by the United States Supreme Court to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Act is President Barack Obama’s comprehensive health care reform legislation. It has the potential to enable the United States to achieve a goal that all countries, including South Africa, should strive toward: universal health care that is both high quality and affordable. In other words, quality health care for everyone.
The question for South Africans becomes: what lessons should South Africa take from this?
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In 2007, 2009 and 2010 strikes took place in the public health sector which resulted in a serious disruption of health care services. Many users of the public health system were not able to access vital services or collect their medication. Earlier this year SECTION27 was approached by a number of concerned organisations, including Rural Doctors Association of South Africa (RuDASA) and the Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) to assist in finding a resolution which recognises the right to strike and also protects patients’ rights and prevents loss of life or serious harm being suffered by patients during a strike.
This submission comments on the Draft Regulations Relating to Foodstuffs for Infants and Young Children (“the Regulations”) published in terms of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972.
