South Africa News

The South African COVID-19 response will soon be bolstered by a surge team of health experts from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Ministers of Health from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) this week agreed to harmonize and coordinate their efforts to respond to COVID-19 in the region.  South Africa – a member of the SADC – confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on 5th March, the first country and so far only country in southern Africa to do so.

Dr Owen Kaluwa, the new World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in South Africa presented his credentials to the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Candith Mashego-Dlamini, today. Welcoming Dr Kaluwa to South Africa, the Deputy Minister, expressed her appreciation of WHO’s quality of deployments- presenting with vast experience that matches the needs of the Country particularly in advancing ‘Health for All’. According to the Deputy Minister, South Africa has tried its best to comply with WHO recommendations in terms of the Health Infrastructure, Communicable Diseases Control, and Joint Cross Border Health issues among others. She is, therefore, looking forward to Dr Kaluwa’s support in strengthening South Africa’s efforts in addressing these and other emerging health challenges.

The World Health Organization- country office for South Africa in partnership with the National Department of Health (NDoH) organized the "National Colloquium on Universal Health Coverage in South Africa" to commemorate the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2019 in Johannesburg on 12th Dec. Observed under the theme 'Keep the promise', the Colloquium followed on the ‘Political Declaration on UHC that was agreed by Heads of the States at the United Nation’s High-Level Meeting (UN-HLM) on UHC during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2019. The President of South Africa HE C.M Ramaphosa also signed this UHC political declaration, thus demonstrating his strong vision and commitment to ensuring UHC for the people of South Africa. Through UHC political declaration, UN Member States also recognized the importance of universal health coverage in achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals”.

For 38-year-old Durban mother Klemmi Norris, the price hike that followed the introduction of South Africa’s highly anticipated – but also controversial – sugar tax was the last straw. Today, she has completely eliminated sugary drinks from her shopping list.

Universal access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is one of the key components of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 5 and contributes to the achievement of all the other SDGs. Given its critical roles therefore, WHO/AFRO is implementing a new four-year initiative, launched on 9 January 2019, to enhance existing efforts for reducing needless deaths from pregnancy in the region focusing on the provision of comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services, within the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) framework, especially for the most vulnerable populations, including those living in humanitarian settings.

The President of South Africa, Mr. Cyril M Ramaphosa, on Thursday 25 July 2019 launched the country’s ‘Presidential Health Compact’. The Compact lays down a five-year roadmap for health systems strengthening reforms under the ‘9 pillars’ towards accelerating Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in South Africa. It originated from months of extensive consultative deliberations between key stakeholders following the Presidential Health Summit in Oct 2018. The Stakeholders comprised government, health and allied health professionals, labour, business community, academics and researchers, statutory bodies, traditional health practitioners and public health entities. WHO provided essential technical advice and support in development of the Presidential Health Compact.

The official launch in 2017 by South Africa’s former Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, of two new national cancer treatment policies was not just a critical breakthrough in the fight against diseases identified among the leading causes of death of the country’s women.

Following completion of drafting the Gauteng Provincial Department of Health Maternal and Neonatal Revival Plan (2019-22), WHO was requested to facilitate prioritization of strategic interventions and costing of the strategic plan.  The support included introduction of the One Health Tool (OHT) for financial planning of healthcare program to ten participants from Provincial Department of Health, health facility in-charge and clinical doctors (Gynaecologists and Neonatologists).