The Public Servants' Association (PSA) in South Africa has voiced concern over restrictions imposed by the Government Employees Medical Aid Scheme (Gems). It welcomed the restructuring current medical aid assistance to make medical cover more affordable, but questioned the compulsory membership of Gems.
Resource allocation and health financing
'Medical scheme hinders freedom of choice'
SAPA, 23 May 2006
A burden that will only become heavier
IPS, 28 May 2006: Palitza, K
Researchers say they are bracing for a sharp rise in the cost of public health services in South Africa within the next few years, due to HIV/AIDS. And, they warn that the country's health department might not be able to cope with its ever-growing responsibilities if government fails to increase the department's budget substantially.
Benn challenges west to fund African NHS
Guardian Unlimited: Mulholland H
Rich countries should back their poorer neighbours in setting up free universal healthcare to help save thousands of lives, Hilary Benn, the minister for international development, will told public service workers in the UK in May.
Gates turns attention to fighting TB
Ireland online, 25 May 2006
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has announced that it would give $104m to a non-profit organisation that fights tuberculosis (TB), a scourge in the developing world. The money will be doled out over five years to the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development to develop new drugs to combat a disease that kills nearly two million people a year. The four available drugs currently used to treat the disease are all more than 40 years old and take six months to work, while many patients have tuberculosis strains that are resistant to existing treatments.
Promoting mutual accountability in aid relationships
Oversees Development Institute, April 2006: de Renzio P, Mulley S
This document argues that by enhancing mutual accountability the aid community and recipient governments can begin to address the power imbalances intrinsic in aid relationships focus aid resources on commonly defined objectives allow recipient governments to influence donor behaviour makes aid more responsive to local needs and priorities.
W Cape health MEC takes aim at HIV shortage
IOL, 26 May 2006: Kassiem A
In a health budget that has received a R600-million boost, the Western Cape's drastic nursing shortage, HIV and Aids and tuberculosis are top of the list for the financial year, says Western Cape Health MEC Pierre Uys.
Dr Lieve Fransen elected Vice Chair of the Board - Global Fund
The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
A unanimous Board in Geneva met on 23 March 2006 and elected Dr Lieve Fransen Vice Chair of the Board after Prof Michel Kazatchkine, France's Ambassador on HIV/AIDS and Transmissible Diseases announced his resignation in January.
Kenyan civil society encourages government to name NGOs that mismanaged funds
e-CIVICUS 288
Civil society organisations have asked the Kenyan government to name the non-governmental organisations that have mismanaged funds meant to fight HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria and, consequently, delayed the disbursement of further money from the Global Fund for HIV/Aids. ‘Civil society organisations have their own disciplinary measures against corruption through the various NGO-member consortiums,’ the CSOs said.
Segmentation and a total market approach
Population Services International: Chapman S, Collumbien M, Karlyn A
This paper from Population Services International (PSI) outlines a method for segmenting populations as part of a Total Market approach to designing, managing and evaluating reproductive and sexual health interventions in developing countries. The approach is demonstrated using data from South Africa. Until now market segmentation analysis has mainly focused on people’s ability to pay. However, this approach applies the Making Market Systems Work Better for the Poor (M4P) concept and identifies five issues which effect people’s take-up of reproductive health services.
The great betrayal – Aids funding drying up, warns ActionAid
Action Aid International
This weekend, six million people in urgent need of essential Aids drugs face betrayal by world leaders. The Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria starts two days of meetings in Geneva today, and ActionAid can reveal it is not getting the heavyweight political support it needs. So far, the UK government is the only major donor to declare its support. Without commitment from other countries, the Fund is unlikely to announce any new grants to fight HIV/Aids in 2006.