“Health cannot be a question of income; it is a fundamental human right” Nelson Mandela

Why Health?

  • In South Africa under-5 mortality 42 deaths per 1,000 live births and infant mortality 35 deaths per 1,000 live births (South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016 Key Indicators Report )
  • Stunting – children under five fail to grow at the corresponding pace to their age. Amongst boys almost one in three is stunted and amongst girls one in four is. (South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016 Key Indicators Report)
  • South Africans remain obese, especially the Blacks (20%) and by race and sex, it is highest amongst Coloured women at 26% (South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016 Key Indicators Report)
  • Poor immunisation coverage – only 61% of children age 12-23 months received all basic vaccinations and only 53% received all age-appropriate vaccinations. Among children 24-35 months, only 42% had received all the age-appropriate vaccinations (South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016 Key Indicators Report)
  • South Africa  faces  a  quadruple  burden  of  disease  resulting  from  communicable diseases  such  as  HIV/AIDS  and  TB;  maternal and child  mortality; NCDs such as hypertension and cardiovascular   diseases,   diabetes,   cancer, mental illnesses and chronic lung diseases like asthma; as well  as injury  and  trauma (WHO South Africa Cooperation Strategy)
  • Some of  the  water-borne  diseases  that  pose  a  high  risk  to  South  Africans  include  gastroenteritis, cholera,  viral  hepatitis, typhoid fever, bilharziasis and  Malaria is endemic in small areas within the provinces of  Kwazulu-Natal, Limpopo and Mpumalanga (WHO South Africa Cooperation Strategy)
  • the South  African  health system has seen relatively poor performance compared with countries of similar income level and given the country’s quantum of healthcare spending (South African Health Review 2017 – Health Systems Trust)
  • In 2017 there were more than seven million people in South Africa infected with  HIV,  with  over  half  of  these on  lifelong  antiretroviral  therapy (ART). The antenatal HIV prevalence rate has stabilised at 30% over the past decade, with higher rates among older pregnant women and lower rates among younger women aged 15 to 24 years. (South African Health Review 2017 – Health Systems Trust)
  • About a third of children under 6 live in households without access to piped water on the site where they live. (SA Early Childhood Review 2017)

Structural Determinants

  • Inadequate and overcrowded public health systems
  • Overloaded public hospitals
  • Under resourced state hospitals and clinics
  • Shortage of doctors, nurses and health workers
  • Transport challenges for health workers

Our Work

  • Developing citizen advocacy for local health support
  • Improving water access, storage and availability
  • Strengthening community health systems
  • We operate HIV and AIDS prevention and care programmes focused on meeting the needs of children who have been made vulnerable because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, especially those who have lost parents to AIDS-related causes.
  • We focus on child and maternal health, using basic medicines, supplies, and interventions to prevent and treat illnesses at the community level
  • We strive to provide potable water, improved sanitation, and hygiene education (WASH) to reduce waterborne illness and improve health.
  • Food garden development in schools, at homes, and within the community have an impact on the health profiles of the children and on their attendance at school