03 Mar 2016

Ministry of Health (MoH) is working on key intervention strategies aimed at combating diseases, improving the country’s health infrastructure and the rolling out of health services to the public.

This was revealed by the Minister of Health, Ms Dorcas Makgato, when presenting the ministry’s development budget proposal before the parliamentary Committee of Supply at the National Assembly on Wednesday.

She said that while her ministry is faced with challenges of having timely health information to guide policy formulation, planning, project management and patient care, concerted efforts are ongoing to address statistical backlog as well as skills and staff shortage at ministry headquarters and district health management teams (DHMTs).

Ms Makgato revealed that her ministry, in line with the National Health Policy and with the assistance of the World Health Organisation is working on the recently approved MoH Functional Structure.

“This new structure calls for a leaner centralised headquarters with much more stronger decentralised District Health Management Teams (DHMTs).  

Furthermore, this new structure allows for a continuum of preventative, curative and rehabilitative health care services,” she said.

Ms Makgato said that the new structure would allow for the seamless integration of the relocation of clinics from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to the MoH.  She also said that the National AIDS Coordination Agency (NACA) would also be aligned into the ministry, though NACA would retain its functions and responsibilities.

The minister further said that her ministry would continue in their effort to prevent diseases through immunization, and the promotion of healthy growth, survival and development for children under the age of five, with Vitamin A supplementation set to continue and new vaccines introduced.

She revealed that the country’s national HIV prevalence rate currently stands at 18.6 per cent in 2013 compared to 17.1 per cent in 2004 and 17.6 per cent in 2008.

“My Ministry is concerned that new HIV infections are still occurring currently estimated at 10 000 annually, having declined from 10 000 in 2008. Of great concern is the younger age group of 15 – 24 years that seems to be vulnerable, and where most HIV infections are happening,” she said.

Ms Makgato added that interventions such as the country’s robust ARV treatment programme have contributed to decreasing AIDS mortality.

Furthermore, she said the country was working on completely eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV, which currently stands at two per cent, significantly reduced over the years due to political commitment and concerted effort. Ends