The Birchwood National Consultative Health

Forum Declaration on Primary Health Care

 

  
 

 

We, the members of the National Consultative Health Forum, representing government, public and private health sectors, statutory bodies, academic and research institutions, community organisations, civil society, non-governmental organisations and organised labour, in our meeting Primary on Health Care at Birchwood Conference Centre, Gauteng Province, held on 10-11 April 2008, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Alma Ata Declaration, hereby:

 

  
 

Note:

  1. the achievements that have been made in the implementation of the Alma Ata declaration globally, including improving access to Primary Health Care (PHC) services and equitable allocation of resources.
  2. the Kopanong Declaration on Primary Health Care in 2003 which, inter alia, resolved to implement concrete strategies and processes, with clear targets, to reduce inequities in the allocation of resources for primary health care with a focus on both horizontal and vertical equity.
  3. that there have been many achievements in the delivery of Primary Health Care services in South Africa, but there are still many challenges, including availability of adequate human resources for health, improving quality of care, strengthening district management and community participation.

Reaffirm:

  1. our commitment to the principles in the Declaration Alma Ata, adopted in September 1978
  2. that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, and that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right. The attainment of the highest possible level of health is a most important worldwide social goal whose realisation requires the action of many other social and economic sectors in addition to the health sector.

Resolve:

That the revisioned and revitalised Primary Health Care strategy for South Africa will include:

  1. advocating for an increase in the resource allocation for PHC, by at least doubling the current per capita expenditure over the next ten years.

  

 

  1. better alignment at district level of key interventions that impact on health, notably provision of water and sanitation, early childhood development, recreational programmes, health education and other activities that focus on encouraging healthy lifestyles especially amongst the youth.
  2. strengthening the role, responsibilities, authority and accountability of the district health management team so as to achieve improved health outcomes.
  3. strengthening the health information system to generate good quality data for monitoring health outcomes and informing decision making.
  4. strengthening national and provincial support to districts as well as ensuring that provincial managers are accountable for PHC outcomes.
  5. strengthening various models including those that focus on a catchment population and further explore a South African model for the delivery of comprehensive PHC services.
  6. maximising the benefit of political leadership in supporting the provision of health care and the positive impact of healthy lifestyles.
  7. ensuring that PHC provided by the private health sector is made more affordable to the public.
  8. improving the provision of support by hospitals to comprehensive PHC to strengthen continuum of care.
  9. .re-orientating all health workers and managers to the PHC approach.
  10. the PHC approach in the training of health workers to ensure their appropriate professional socialisation.

We, the delegates gathered here, therefore undertake to use every opportunity to ensure that progress is made in improving the health status of all those who live in South Africa

 

Department of Health www.doh.gov.za 18 April 2008

  
         

 

GEOSS Symposium, Brazil

 

  

 

The Group on Earth Observation (GEO) Symposium was held in Brazil in September 2007. Sixty-six participants from twelve countries attended the meeting.

 

  
         
 

What are GEO and GEOSS?

 

The Group on Earth Observations (or GEO) is coordinating international efforts to build a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). This emerging public infrastructure is interconnecting a diverse and growing array of instruments and systems for monitoring and forecasting changes in the global environment. This ‘system of systems’ supports policymakers, resource managers, science researchers and many other experts and decision-makers.

 

 

The WFPHA and GEO

 

The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) applied for membership into GEO as a means to

 

serving public health in general. Membership will broaden possibilities of tracking environmental sustainability, combating emerging and re-emerging diseases, being prepared for disasters, nutritional disorders and other health related issues.

 

WFPHA contributed to the session on public health, and a primary outcome of this discussion involved the development of clear conclusions about how GEOSS and the public health community can strengthen their relationships to ensure effective and efficient production and use of geospatial information, both domestically and globally.

 

WFPHA’s application was reviewed and approved during the following board meeting in Cape Town.

  
 
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