A bleak picture has been painted in the Situational Analysis of Children in South Africa 2007–2008, a report compiled by the UN Children’s Fund that looks at the standard of living of children in South Africa. It shows that poverty and crime continue to wreak havoc in the lives of this country’s children. It confirmed the view that South Africa will most likely not reach its Global Millennium Goal of reducing child mortality by two-thirds by 2015. Of every 1,000 children born in KwaZulu-Natal, 99 die before they reach the age of five. Gauteng’s mortality rate is still at about 63 deaths per 1,000 births; in Western Cape the ratio is 40 per 1,000.
Equity in Health
Situational Analysis of Children in South Africa 2007–2008 UNICEF: 17 April 2009
UNICEF: April 2009
Sixty-second World Health Assembly proceedings
World Health Organisation, May 2009
The 62nd session of the World Health Assembly took place in Geneva during 18-22 May 2009. At this session, the Health Assembly discussed a number of public health issues, including: pandemic influenza preparedness: sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits;
implementation of the International Health Regulations; primary health care, including health system strengthening; social determinants of health; and monitoring the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals. The Health Assembly also discussed the programme budget, administration and management matters of WHO. The proceeedings and resolutions can be found at the website provided.
Sixty-second World Health Assembly: Agenda for action
World Health Organization: 2009
The 62nd session of the World Health Assembly took place in Geneva during 18-22 May 2009. At this session, the Health Assembly discussed a number of public health issues, including pandemic influenza preparedness: sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits, implementation of the International Health Regulations, primary health care (including health system strengthening), the social determinants of health and monitoring the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals. The Health Assembly also discussed the programme budget, administration and management matters of the World Health Organization.
Sixty-third World Health Assembly closes after passing multiple resolutions
World Health Organization 21 May 2010
The 63rd World Health Assembly, which brought together Health Ministers and senior health officials from the World Health Organization's (WHO) Member States, concluded on 21 May 2010. The delegates adopted resolutions on a variety of global health issues including: a global strategy and plan of action for public health, innovation and intellectual property; convening an intergovernmental working group to deal with counterfeit medical products; developing a comprehensive approach to the prevention and control of viral hepatitis; monitoring the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals; enforcing the global code of practice for the international recruitment of health personnel; ensuring food safety; implementing the global strategy for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases; implementing strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol; global eradication of measles by 2015; increasing availability, safety and quality of blood products; new guidelines on human organ and tissue transplantation; intensifying efforts to improve treatment and prevention of pneumonia; increased political commitment and a global strategy for better infant and young child nutrition; redressing the limited focus to date on preventing and managing birth defects; sharing of influenza viruses and access to vaccines and other benefits with regard to pandemic influenza preparedness; and implementing the International Health Regulations of 2005.
Sixty-third World Health Assembly resolution on monitoring of the achievement of the health-related Millennium Development Goals
World Health Organization: 21 May 2010
Expressing concern at the relatively slow progress in attaining the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, the World Health Assembly in this resolution reaffirms the commitments by developed countries to a target of 0.7% of gross national income on official development assistance by 2015, with an interim goal of 0.56% of gross national income for official development assistance by 2010. It urges United Nations member states to strengthen their health systems so that they deliver equitable health outcomes and achieve Millennium Development Goals 4, 5 and 6. It urges for policy review in areas that are limiting progress, including on the recruitment, training and retention of health workers, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Governments should reaffirm the values and principles of primary health care, including equity, social justice and community participation, as the basis for strengthening health systems. Health equity should be taken into account in all national policies that address the social determinants of health, and governments should consider developing and strengthening universal comprehensive social protection policies, including health promotion, disease prevention and health care, and further commit themselves to increased investment in financial and human resources.
Small-scale enterprises and the informal sector in Kenya
Theuri CK: African Newsletter on Occupational Health and Safety 22(2): 32-34, September 2012
According to this article, most urban informal sector workers in Kenya live in slums, and they lack basic health and welfare services and social protection, and work in an unhealthy and unsafe work environment. Many small-scale workers operate in ramshackle structures, lack sanitary facilities or potable water, and have poor waste disposals. As their home and workplace are often the same place, this increases their vulnerability to diseases and poor health by combining undesirable living and working conditions. The blurring of the distinction between working and living conditions is related to broader problems of poverty and underdevelopment, the author argues. The major challenge is sustaining continuous improvement and making improvements that are long-lasting. He calls for greater collaboration among the different government agencies concerned with small-scale enterprises and the informal sector, such as the Department of Small and Micro-enterprises, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services (DOSHS). The DOSHS should continue to collect, analyse and disseminate consistent, disaggregated statistics on safety, health and welfare in the informal economy. These statistics will enable and promote the identification of specific policies and programmes aimed at ensuring that the informal economy provides more decent jobs, as well as bringing the informal economy into the mainstream formal economy.
Social capital and health: Does egalitarianism matter?
International Journal for Equity in Health 5:3: Islam MK, Merlo J, Kawachi L, et al
The aim of the paper is to critically review the notion of social capital and review empirical literature on the association between social capital and health across countries. Findings of this literature review led to the tentative conclusion that an association between social capital and health at the individual level is robust with respect to the degree of egalitarianism within a country.
Social determinants of health and health inequities in Nakuru, Kenya
Muchukuri E and Grenier FR: International Journal for Equity in Health, 14 May 2009
This paper examines the health status of residents in a major urban centre in Kenya and reviews the effects of selected social determinants on local health. Through field surveys, focus group discussions and a literature review, this study canvasses past and current initiatives and recommends priority actions. Areas identified that unevenly affect the health of the most vulnerable segments of the population were: water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, food environments, housing, the organisation of health care services and transportation. The use of a participatory method proved to be a useful approach that could benefit other urban centres in their analysis of social determinants of health.
Social Determinants of Health Equity
Marmot M, Allen J: American Journal of Public Health: 104, S4, S517-S519, September 2014
This supplement explores social determinants of equity in health and highlights differences by socioeconomic status and geographic location, among others. The paper highlights that to reduce health inequalities requires action to reduce socioeconomic and other inequalities. There are other factors that influence health, but these are outweighed by the overwhelming impact of social and economic factors—the material, social, political, and cultural conditions that shape our lives and our behaviours.
Social determinants of health inequalities
This paper studies the key issues underlying inequalities in health between and within countries as well as poverty and inequality. These include social determinants (poverty, inequality, and the causes of the causes). The paper emphasises that action is not only possible but also necessary. It further highlights the importance of meeting human needs.