Issued by Department of Health
29 April 2008
The rapid escalation in food and crude oil prices and the downturn in the global economy will have a devastating effect on the health of the poor and vulnerable, Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said yesterday.
Minister Tshabalala-Msimang was addressing the official opening of the International Conference on Primary Health Care in her capacity as the chair of the African Union Health Ministers.
The conference is organised by the World Health Organisation to mark the 30th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration in Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso from April 28-30. The Alma Ata Declaration was adopted by global community in 1978 and declared primary health care as central to the delivery of health service, emphasizing socio-economic and environmental factors as critical in determining health status of a population. In SA the primary health care approach was effectively implemented after 1994.
Minister Tshabalala-Msimang said poverty and underdevelopment were already having negative impact on the poor and the recent increases in food prices will even worsen this situation, with global warming becoming another major challenge to vulnerable populations.
"We are already experiencing first hand the negative effects of global warming - floods as well as droughts have already been experienced in many parts of Africa and elsewhere in the past year. As health family, we must consider what our contribution must be in mitigating climate change and its impact," said Minister Tshabalala-Msimang.
She said the AU has developed and adopted an Africa Health Strategy which recognizes the impact of these social determinants of health. "The Strategy urges the Ministers of Health to participate in development of poverty reduction strategies and economic empowerment processes to encourage health promoting options and development for the poorest and most vulnerable," said Minister Tshabalala-Msimang.
Acknowledging that many countries in Africa still require development assistance, Minister Tshabalala-Msimang emphasized the need for these partnerships to be based on mutual respect.
"Funders should buy into the priorities and plans of recipient countries and capacity development and sustainability of development programmes should be the key characteristics of development assistance," said Tshabalala-Msimang.
Minister Tshabalala-Msimang returns to SA at the end of the conference tomorrow.
Contact
Sibani Mngadi
Media Liaison Officer
Ministry of Health
Tel: (012) 312 0763
Fax: (012) 325 5526
Cell: 082 772 0161