Surgery as a component of universal healthcare : where is South Africa?

Conditions that can be treated or alleviated by surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia services, collectively termed surgical care, account for approximately one-third of the total global burden of disease.[1] In November 2018, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) passed an intergovernment...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:South African medical journal 2019-09, Vol.109 (9), p.624-625
Main Authors: Steyn, Elmin, Biccard, Bruce, Makasa, Emmanuel M., Reddy, Ché L., Chu, Kathryn, Maswime, Salome, Fieggen, Graham, Smith, Martin, Meara, John G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anesthesia
Cabinet officials
Ministers (Clergy)
National health insurance
Obstetrics
Public health
Sustainable development
World health
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Summary:Conditions that can be treated or alleviated by surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia services, collectively termed surgical care, account for approximately one-third of the total global burden of disease.[1] In November 2018, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) passed an intergovernmental resolution[2] that recognised surgical care as an indispensable component of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) to attain global health and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[3] and to affirm 2015 World Health Assembly Resolution WHA68.15.[4] SADC health ministers, including the former South African Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, pledged to invest in surgical care by developing National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Plans (NSOAPs). Three non-SADC African countries (Ethiopia, Rwanda and Nigeria) and two SADC countries (Tanzania and Zambia) are implementing NSOAPs, while four other member states (Botswana, Malawi, Namibia and Zimbabwe) are developing them. Although South Africa (SA) has promoted the concept of UHC, it has not taken any concrete steps to meaningfully include surgical care in its new National Health Insurance (NHI) policy.
ISSN:0256-9574
2078-5135
DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2019.v109i9.14233