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
By: Hloni Manare A routine minibus taxi ride from Hillbrow to Orange Grove, north of Johannesburg, quickly turned into a nightmare for Flora* a documented migrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In 2024, the 45-year-old mother of three found herself in excruciating pain in the back seat Continue Reading
Health Reform – Perspectives and Proposals Executive Summary of the report: Health system reform efforts in South Africa appear to have stagnated. Following over a decade of discussion and debate, stakeholders are weary and do not trust each other’s motives and opinions. This stagnation is fatal. South Africa’s health system Continue Reading
Covid-19 Vaccine Q&A – vaccine literacy cards English isiZulu seSotho isiXhosa Here we answer some frequently asked questions about the Covid-19 Vaccine. How do vaccines work, and why do we use them? What is the immune system and what do vaccines have to do with it? What is herd or Continue Reading
The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement’s outlook for the healthcare system 3 November 2020 – The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) delivered by the Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni on 28 October 2020 aims to cement austerity budgeting – cutting government spending to reduce debt – into the budget framework for Continue Reading
South Africa has two healthcare systems. One is private, serving a minority of the population who can afford to pay increasingly exorbitant monthly as well as out of pocket fees. The other is public, funded mainly by tax revenues and serving the vast majority of citizens. Although only 17 in Continue Reading
Statement: The Budget Justice Coalition reaffirms the need for a rights-oriented budget 21 February 2019, Cape Town – The Budget Justice Coalition notes the irony of a budget handed down on World Day of Social Justice that slashes R50.3 billion from social expenditure over the next three years. While we Continue Reading
PRESS RELEASE For immediate release 18 October 2018 – Johannesburg United Nations Committee finds government austerity measures in health, education and other public services “may further worsen inequalities” and calls for policy to be reassessed Following its first review of South Africa, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Continue Reading
South Africa’s health care system remains under significant strain. The quadruple burden of disease (consisting of HIV and TB, non-communicable diseases, violence and injuries and maternal, newborn and child health) continues amid human resources constraints, limited budgets, infrastructural challenges, essential medicine stock outs, and poor facility, district and provincial management. Continue Reading
On 15 May 2013 the Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi, delivered his annual National Health budget and policy speech (here). The speech provides an opportunity for the Minister and his department to communicate progress they have made in delivering health services, the challenges they face and what they plan to do to advance the right to health.
On Monday, 4 March 2013, SECTION27 and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) launched the “Monitoring Our Health Report”. SECTION27 and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) spent the past year interviewing and corresponding with doctors, nurses and patients who are at the coalface of the crisis in order to better understand Continue Reading
SECTION27 welcomes increases in the health care budget, but concerns remain Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan delivered the 2012/13 Budget Speech to Parliament yesterday. Considering the difficult fiscal environment in which the 2012/13-2014/15 was formulated, SECTION27 welcomes the proposed increase to the health budget of R12.3 billion over the next three Continue Reading
