Zimbabwe has made a powerful appeal to African nations to prioritise the development of sustainable, domestic health financing mechanisms. This is in response to recent withdrawals of crucial donor funding across the continent. Speaking at the 75th World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa meeting in Zambia, Health Minister Douglas Mombeshora stressed that long-term resilience is key. It is…
Tag: health policy
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Zimbabwe Health Bill Aims for Universal Coverage
In a significant move towards universal healthcare, Zimbabwe’s Parliament is considering a new bill aimed at providing medical services for all citizens. It also seeks to regulate the entire health sector, including private hospitals. Questions remain over how the government will finance the ambitious system proposed in the Medical Services Amendment Bill. Following a path similar to South Africa’s National…
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TAC Seeks to Join Legal Fray Over NHI Act
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), a patient advocacy organisation, seeks to join the legal battle over the future of South African healthcare. The TAC seeks to join the South African Medical Association’s (SAMA) court challenge against the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. It states it must represent the perspective of millions who depend on the public health system. The move…
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Lack of Data on Foreign Healthcare Users Exposed
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has made a startling admission. Due to a lack of data, the government has no information on the number of foreign nationals using South Africa’s public health facilities. This leaves policymakers blind to the full extent of the demand on the nation’s embattled healthcare system. This lack of data exacerbates the situation. The confession comes as…
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African Nursing Conference Aims for Collaborative Care
Public and private sector nurses from across the SADC region are gathered in Boksburg this week for the Fifth African Nursing Conference. This conference provides a critical platform aimed at bridging divides. It also focuses on forging a united path towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the era of National Health Insurance (NHI). The African Nursing Conference is focused on…
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SA’s Cuba Doctor Programme Faces Growing Doubts
Almost 30 years since its inception, the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro (NMFC) medical training programme, which sends South African students to Cuba, is facing a storm of criticism over its staggering costs. Additionally, there is a lack of transparent data and questionable relevance in a country that now struggles to employ its own locally trained doctors. Once a flagship post-apartheid initiative,…
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Climate Damage Affects Medication Adherence, fuels health crisis
South Africa’s overstretched public health system is facing a severe crisis. The intensifying effects of climate change wreak havoc on its infrastructure. The issue of climate damage is evident in a new study, which has found a direct link between damaged health facilities and patients failing to take their medication. This has devastating consequences for public health and mortality rates.…
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BHF rejects fraud inquiry’s findings as ‘fundamentally flawed’
South Africa’s healthcare sector is facing a crisis of trust. This follows an independent inquiry finding that the nation’s largest medical schemes have been targeting black healthcare practitioners. They have been targeted in investigations into fraud and abuse. The report sets the stage for a major confrontation over racial equity and regulatory oversight. Moreover, it challenges methods used to combat…
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Inquiry Finds Medical Schemes Guilty of Racial Discrimination
Focus Keywords: Medical Scheme Discrimination, Section 59 Inquiry, Black Healthcare Providers, Discovery, GEMS, Medscheme, Racial Bias, Healthcare Fraud A damning report has concluded that South Africa’s largest medical schemes and administrators, including Discovery, the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), and Medscheme, have acted unfairly. Their actions represent racial discrimination towards Black healthcare providers. The long-awaited Section 59 inquiry’s final report,…
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Funding Gap Threatens HIV and TB Progress
The public health system is facing a severe crisis, gripped by uncertainty and despair. This occurs five months after the withdrawal of approximately R7 billion in annual US aid. This has resulted in a funding gap that exacerbates the situation further. The government’s extended silence on a recovery plan has left healthcare workers and civil society organisations demanding immediate action.…
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NHI Complaints Unit and its Centralised Approach
As South Africa moves towards the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), specific provisions within the NHI Act regarding complaint management have become a significant point of contention. Recent court challenges have highlighted the issue. Sections 42 to 44 establish a centralised investigative unit within the NHI Fund. This unit is the exclusive authority for handling all complaints. These…