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5 May 2008

Introduction

The Social Sector Cluster submitted to Cabinet earlier this month its progress report regarding the implementation of Government Programme of Action (POA) 2008/09. In that report, we outlined the successes but also drew the attention of Cabinet to the challenges that we identified as the Cluster.

In our briefing this morning we wish to confine our report to the following key strategic areas:

* comprehensive healthcare
* integrated food security and nutrition programme
* comprehensive social security
* housing and human settlement
* education and
* promotion of national identity and social cohesion.

Comprehensive healthcare

Our approach in dealing with this matter looks at health promotion, reduction of communicable and non-communicable diseases and the unnatural causes of death such as accidents and injuries.

The Department of Health has adopted the "healthy lifestyles" campaign as its key strategic message for the year. This campaign seeks to encourage South Africans to adopt and practice healthy lifestyles as part of decreasing the burden of disease facing the country.

The Department is increasing the number of health promoting schools from 3 500 to at least 5 000 schools. These schools have initiated the programmes to prevent tobacco use, development of food gardens and sports participation.

The Health Portfolio Committee will hold hearings on the amendments to the Tobacco Control Act on the 7th and 8th of May. Through these amendments, the Department seeks to further enhance the control of tobacco products in line with the international standards set in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Among other provisions, the amendment bill seeks to:

* strengthen sections which prohibit advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and the regulation of smoking in public places
* introduction of picture-based health warnings
* the removal of misleading descriptions such as "mild" and "light" which carries a fine of R1 000 000.

The Bill increases the penalties so that they become a real deterrent against contravention of the Act. The fine for the owner of a public place or employer who fails to ensure that there is no smoking in a smoke free area has been increased from R10 000 to R50 000.

The penalty for selling tobacco products to a minor (under 18 years) has been increased from R10 000 to R50 000. Also included are new offences such as: failing to protect employees from tobacco smoke pollution, selling tobacco products in a health institution and retailer not complying with point of sale conditions. The penalty for advertising and promotion has been increased from R200 000 to R1 000 000.

Regarding the control and management of malaria, we are encouraged by the fact that Limpopo and Mpumalanga have already covered over 85 percent of malaria risk areas with indoor residual spray for malaria vector control while KwaZulu-Natal is currently at 82 percent. The development and implementation of malaria health promotion activities in the three affected provinces is underway.

In line with the call by the President in the State of the Nation Address, we are working on reducing the tuberculosis (TB) defaulter rates from 10 to 7 percent through the establishment of TB tracer teams and the training of 3 000 health personnel in the management of this disease. A total of 72 TB tracer teams have been established in all the nine provinces. Each team comprises a healthcare worker, two community health workers and a data capturer. In addition, 122 healthcare workers were trained on multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) management in the past two months.

On HIV/AIDS, we are happy to report that our treatment, care and support intervention is gradually gaining momentum in line with our commitment to deal with this challenge. As at February 2008, our figures show that at least 456 000 had been initiated on antiretroviral treatment and 39 759 of these are children in all 407 facilities accredited to provide this service. We now have 86 percent of the sub-districts having at least one service point accredited to provide comprehensive care to people living with HIV/AIDS.

Food security and nutrition programme

Poverty, hunger and malnutrition continue to be one of the biggest challenges facing us. The Household Food Production Programme is one of government's strategies of improving food security amongst the vulnerable communities. To date, 15 765 food production packages have been distributed. We are also working hard in deepening our interventions around the establishment of school food gardens. To date, 6 390 vegetable gardens have been established.

With regard to the farmer support programme, a total of 903 clients have received Micro-Agricultural Finance Scheme of South Africa (MAFISA) (Farmer Support Programme) loans and a total of R8,5 million has been disbursed in the first quarter of 2008 (Jan - March). Currently, the Land Bank and Umvimba (through all their branches) are involved in retailing MAFISA.

In the light of the poverty and hunger that still confronts millions of our people, as the Social Cluster and indeed as government, we are concerned and worried by the escalating food prices currently affecting the world, including South Africa.

This development, in our view, makes food to be unaffordable and it defeats our goal of food security and improving nutritional status of our population. We wish to appeal to all the role players in the industry from producers to retailers to work with government in ensuring that we do not make food, especially basic foodstuffs such as bread, milk and maize-meal totally out of reach to the millions of our people.

Comprehensive social security

The Social Cluster briefed Cabinet on proposals on social assistance and reforming the system of retirement provisions. The Inter-Ministerial Committee endorsed the Report of the Inter-Departmental Task Team and approved proposals to:

* gradually equalise the age of eligibility for the old age grant
* ensure that the discussion on a National Health Insurance System is part of the mandate and work of the Departmental and Inter-Departmental Task Teams (IDTT); and
* extend the child support grant to children up to their 15th birthday, amongst others.

The IDTT completed a draft framework for the consolidated government position paper. This framework is aimed at ensuring the comprehensiveness of the work mandated by International Marketing Council (IMC). The Departments of National Treasury, Social Development, Labour and Health are also finalising position papers on the various components of the social security reform.

Housing and human settlements

Positive results are emerging in the implementation of the comprehensive programme dealing with human settlement and social infrastructure. To date, financial institutions (Banks) indicate that R35 billion has been released for financing housing development and/or ownership. The upward movement of interest rates however has had the effect of eroding affordability as far as housing is concerned.

An inclusionary housing policy has been finalised and implemented across private and publicly driven housing development. Multiple housing projects that are designed as mixed use and mixed income housing developments serve to ensure cross subsidisation and achieve inclusionary housing objectives.

Over 100 000 units are planned in projects such as Cosmo City, Olievenhoutbosch, Chief Albert Luthuli and Mogale (Gauteng), Bendor and Lephalale (Limpopo) and Klarienet (Mpumalanga). At the same time, a voucher system for building materials in rural areas to support the self-build initiative is being investigated by the Department of Housing. The Rental Housing Act has been amended to improve the regulation of the tenant-landlord relations.

Access to quality education

The importance of quality education to the economic growth of our country cannot be over-emphasised. To this end, our interventions around the re-capitalisation of further education and training (FET) colleges to ensure relevance to the economy are continuing. By March 2008, 100 percent of the R595 million allocated to FET had been utilised as part of increasing output around priority skills programmes and learnerships.

The number of the Dinaledi schools has also been increased to 500 as part of our effort to double the number of Matric maths passes to 50 000 by 2009. Each of the Dinaledi schools has been provided with textbooks for every learner in English, maths and physical sciences to the value of R12 million.

On the implementation of the Mass Literacy Campaign targeted at reaching 300 000 adults, the Kha Ri Gude Campaign was officially launched in February 2008 and already 100 Master Trainers have been trained in the requirements of the campaign as well as the use of the materials developed for the campaign.

Promotion of national identity and social cohesion

We have embarked on a three-year national symbols project aimed at installing a flag in every school. Phase two of the project has been initiated and is aimed at installing 10 000 flags in schools in all provinces. The Departments of Arts and Culture and Education have embarked on a project to make information on symbols more accessible. Since January this year, a total of 12 workshops have been held in Gauteng, North West, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape on this matter.

As part of encouraging good citizenship among our youth in particular, a Bill of Responsibility was launched in February 2008. Through this Bill, we are seeking to inculcate in our youth the responsibilities that come with rights.

Conclusion

In general, we are encouraged by the work that the Cluster is performing and progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action for 2008.

Presented on behalf of the Social Sector Cluster by:
Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Minister of Health

Issued by: Department of Health
5 May 2008