briefing
15 February 2007
Introduction
The Social Sector Cluster submitted a detailed progress report on its
programmes and activities to the January Cabinet Lekgotla focussing on the
implementation of the Programme of Action (PoA) for 2006 and the following
three strategic areas:
* proposals for the development of a framework and strategy for the
eradication of poverty
* proposals for accelerating the delivery of water and sanitation and
* proposals for the finalisation of a Comprehensive Social Security System.
At this briefing, we will expand on the issues raised in the State of the
Nation Address and we will also focus specifically on the following Social
Cluster programmes:
* Comprehensive Health
* Integrated Human Settlements
* Free basic services
* The National Identity and Social Cohesion
Other issues will be covered at the other Social Sector Cluster briefing
which takes place later today.
The Social Sector Cluster has generally performed well in implementing the
2006 PoA and in some instances, such as in extending the Child Support Grant
and certain aspects of the provision of Free Basic Services, the Cluster
exceeded its targets. Progress in the implementation of the Cluster programmes
also enhances the country's ability to meet the Millennium Development Goals
most of which falls within the programmes of the Cluster.
The 2007 Social Cluster Programme of Action will remain the same as it was
in 2006 with additions being made in the programme activity sections of some of
the programmes. The most significant new programme activity will be the
development of a framework and strategy to eradicate poverty.
Comprehensive Health programme
With regard to health matters, the Social Cluster will retain the priorities
for 2006. This is because tangible impact on the health status of a population
requires sustained interventions addressing both natural and non-natural causes
of death.
Health promotion
Building on the success of the Healthy Lifestyle Campaign in which thousands
of people participated, the Cluster will focus on health promotion activities,
in particular targeting the youth. The Cluster will continue to promote good
nutrition, the importance of regular physical activity as well as the need to
decrease risky behaviour with respect to smoking, alcohol abuse and risky
sexual behaviour.
Declaration of South Africa as polio free encourages us to intensify the
implementation of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation and strengthen
maternal and women's health programmes especially as they relate to the
Millennium Declaration Goals (MDGs).
HIV and AIDS
We will continue to intensify the implementation of our comprehensive
response to HIV and AIDS. Following the launch of the framework for the
Strategic Plan on World AIDS Day last year, the Department of Health has since
established a Task Team, made up of people from government and civil society,
to take forward the process of finalising the Strategic Plan.
We expect that the team should have a final draft plan ready for
presentation and consideration by the national consultative conference on HIV
and AIDS and this is scheduled for the 15th to 16th of March 2007.
The process is also underway to restructure the South African National AIDS
Council (SANAC) to ensure that it becomes a true expression of our
multi-sectoral response to HIV and AIDS. We have agreed on the high-level
structure of SANAC that will be chaired by the Deputy President as it is
traditionally the case. The structure will include government representation at
a ministerial level and highest leadership of the various sectors of civil
society.
Supporting this structure will be a programme implementation committee which
should have representation from sectors at an operational or functional level.
This committee will serve as a platform for collaboration and sharing of
experience.
Several sectoral co-ordinating committees will be established in key areas
such as mining, public service, education, agriculture, transport, community
development and justice. These sectoral committees will report to SANAC through
the programme implementation committee.
There is also going to be a structure which should act as a Country
Co-ordinating Mechanism for South Africa's interaction with the Global Fund to
Fight AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. This structure will be chaired by
the Minister of Health.
The Department of Health will be an ex-officio member of all the
abovementioned structures and will provide advice and technical support.
Tuberculosis
With respect to TB, the Department of Health will continue to focus on
strengthening the Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) system in
order to reduce the prevalence of both Multi Drug Resistant and Extreme Drug
Resistant TB. The Department will continue to work together with local and
international stakeholders and experts to further contain the challenge of
XDR-TB.
Medicines
In further reducing the cost of medicines, regulations on international
benchmarking of SA single exit prices (manufacturer's price) have been
published for comments until March 19. Their implementation is likely to lead
to further reductions in medicine prices.
It is unfortunate that some pharmacy groups have chosen to take legal action
against recently announced dispensing fee, despite the fact that, as a result
of the international benchmarking adjustment, the current dispensing fee
structure will be reviewed in consultation with all stakeholders.
Review of remuneration of health professionals
Working with Treasury and the Department of Public Service and
Administration, the Department of Health has done extensive work on the review
of remuneration of health professionals. The costed proposals on this matter
have been submitted to Treasury and are awaiting final budgetary allocation
which should determine the extent of the remuneration adjustments.
Housing and Human Settlements Programme
The Comprehensive Plan for the Creation of Sustainable Human Settlements
introduces a new paradigm in the development of settlements and focuses on the
development of integrated delivery of housing opportunities. The progressive
realisation of the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan will ensure that SA is
a country that lives and works together â sharing benefits of freedom through
access to economic and social advantages.
There is a need to double the number of houses built per financial year in
order to eradicate informal settlements by 2014. To respond to this challenge
the Department of Housing is investigating ways to accelerate delivery through
a Housing Development Agency. The agency will develop, manage and co-ordinate
the development of housing across the country, including identification and
purchase of suitable land for integrated housing development.
The Department is also exploring other sources of funding for accelerated
housing delivery and the restructuring of the current funding mechanism for
purposes of consolidating all housing related subsidies.
As we finalise legislation to prevent further squatting and invasions, we
are also prioritising metropolitan areas and large cities for interventions
(funding and capacitation) that seek to fast-track upgrading of informal
settlements and ensure national spatial restructuring. The establishment of a
Land Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to acquire and package prime land for
housing and human settlements purposes is at an advanced stage.
Companies like Anglo Platinum have demonstrated that employers can
contribute effectively to the provision of affordable rental and ownership
homes for their employees. Through the Social Contract, we will continue to
engage more employers in order to work with them to provide decent affordable
homes for their employees.
National Identity and Social Cohesion Programme
The Social Cluster will continue implementing programmes that enhance
national identity and social cohesion amongst South Africans. Workshops to
promote the national symbols and the booklet 'My Country South Africa' were
held in five provinces. An audit to determine the number of schools that
require the national flag is nearing completion. The implementation of the
Truth and Reconcilliation Commission (TRC) recommendations continues and will
be intensified through the TRC office in the Department of Justice during the
course of 2007. The Social Cluster will also develop 'Vision 2010' aimed at
unifying and rallying the nation behind the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Acceleration of free basic services
The Social Cluster is confident that the eradication of the bucket system in
formal established residential settlements will be achieved by December 2007.
The backlog at the inception of the programme in February 2005 was 252 254
units and the delivery against this backlog was at 110 648 units by the end of
November 2006. The remaining backlog is 141 606 units. The provinces with the
highest backlogs are Free State (95 254), Eastern Cape (16 630) and North West
(22 209).
Cabinet Lekgotla approved a strategy to accelerate the delivery of basic
services including water and sanitation. The strategy mandates the Department
of Water Affairs and Forestry to take greater responsibility for the delivery
of basic services. The Department has developed a sanitation acceleration
strategy called âOperation Gijimaâ, that is targeted at improving sanitation in
rural areas.
South Africa has made significant progress in eradicating basic water
services backlogs. In terms of basic water supply, South Africa had already
halved the backlog by 2005, thus achieving the Millennium Development Goal
(MDGs) ten years ahead of the 2015 target date. In terms of sanitation
services, there has been a 40% improvement since 1994, which is also well
within the timeframe of the MDGs.
As the President mentioned in the State of the Nation address, South Africa
is one of the few countries that spend more on water and sanitation than on
military budgets according to the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP).
Conclusion
We have made significant progress in the implementation of the Programme of
Action for 2006. Although the programme areas for the Cluster will not change,
our emphasis this year will be on enhancing efficiency in the delivery of
programmes outlined in the Programme of Action.
Presented on behalf of the Social Cluster by Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang,
Minister of Health.
Issued by: Department of Health
15 February 2007
