In his forward, Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi emphasizes the department’s efforts to bring South Africa’s stubbornly high maternal mortality rates down. He notes that HIV continues to account for about half of all maternal mortality and about a third of that among children. in the past 18 months, the department has trained about 5,000 health professionals in basic management of obstetric emergencies.

The department also a new national family planning campaign in Gauteng under the theme. As part of this, a new under-the-skin contraceptive implant is being offered to all women free of charge regardless of socio-economic status.

Meanwhile, the department notes that its decentralisation of multdrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) care remains slow. According to the report, only 26 of the planned 45 health districts nationwide have a decentralised MDR-TB unit due to a policy shift to integrate HIV/TB and MDR-TB teams as well as inadequate funding.

The department also fell far short of targets on antiretroviral treatment initiation among HIV/TB co-infected patients.

The report also provides updates on the status of long-awaited NHI policy documents. According to the department, a draft of the White Paper was tabled to the Social Cluster in November 2013. A conceptual framework on the creation of an NHI fund will remain in draft form until the White Paper is finalised, the report notes.

Download the report: National Department of Health Annual Report 2013-14

Related submissions

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and the civil society coalition the Budget Expenditure Monitoring Forum (BEMF) made joint written and oral submissions before the National Assembly Portfolio Committee on the annual plan. In these submissions, TAC and BEMF make about 30 key recommendations, including the finalisation of the draft national intellectual property policy, the public release of a list of all registered medicines in the country, and that the department finalize a 2015/16 National Commununity Health Care Worker Policy.

Download the joint written submission: TAC BEMF Submission to the Portfolio Committee on Health
Download the accompanying presentation: TAC BEMF Oral Submission to the Portfolio Committee on Health