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27 February 2003

Minister Manuel has announced the most positive health budget in several years. The bulk of health funding is allocated to the various provinces, and the allocation gives provinces a genuine chance to address some of the most persistent weaknesses in our delivery system.

Top of the list is the R500 million to secure health professionals in categories where the public sector experiences the most acute shortages. We believe that appropriate monetary incentives can make a real difference in attracting critically needed professionals to the public health sector and -- more importantly -- keeping them there. Of course, rural areas will be at the front of the queue as we consider how to use this additional funding.

We already have a team at work -- from Health, Public Service and Administration and Treasury -- to fast track this money into the system.

Our national capital budget gets a very substantial boost for the second year in a row. We already have major hospital revitalisation projects at nine hospitals and this will enable us to add a further 18 hospitals (= 27) this year.

Government's commitment to expanding HIV and AIDS programmes is evident in this budget. Some of this funding flows through the national Health Department to provinces to strengthen some relatively new initiatives - like prevention of mother-to-child transmission and prophylaxis for survivors of sexual assault. A larger amount goes directly to provinces with a view to expanding treatment in accordance with Cabinet's position, as stated on 17 April 2002.

As chair of the Social Cluster I'd like to highlight the fact that the battle against hunger and poor nutrition will be fought this year with quite a lot more resources and with renewed effort from all Departments that have the power blunt the sharp edge of poverty.

Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
Minister of Health

Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)