Deputy Chairperson, and all protocol observed, as the ANC, the Freedom Charter commits us to a preventative health scheme run by the state; free medical health and hospitalisation provided for all, with special care for mothers and young children. The social impact for continued health transformation should be strengthened and consolidated through ensuring that the people participate in decision-making and community mobilisation for a healthy and long-living society.
The commitment to improve health standards for both public and private sectors, upgrade and improve public hospitals, reduce the rate of HIV- related infections by 50%, and achieve the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, should be actualised in order to improve the quality of health care services.
There has been a notable deterioration in health care, despite a quantitative improvement in access to health services. Equally, it is pivotal that efforts to improve the quality of health services escalate concurrently with the equality of quality access by all, regardless of gender, race, or class. Progressive legislation and the continued improvement of the health infrastructure are insufficient to resolve the contradictions between the private health care system and public health care system. This duality has caused access to quality health care to be unequal based on differences in the economic abilities of patients, such that those who are more economically favoured would access better health care and, as a consequence, live a longer and better life than their opposites.
Our Constitution is very clear regarding the fact that everyone has a right to have access to health care services and, thus, the ANC government has put in place a 10-point plan to improve access to health care and to reduce inequality in the health system. This position is compatible with the ANC national executive committee's January 8 Statement and the 2009 election manifesto. It is, therefore, necessary that the quantity and capacity of teaching hospitals be increased; human resources be strengthened; health financing and information systems be strengthened; and health services be integrated. The fact is that the current command of health resources by the private health sector, which services a minority section of the population, has been to the detriment of the public sector on which the vast majority of the people depend.
It must be emphasised that the National Health Insurance, NHI, will address both capacity and access in relation to health care. It will be publicly funded and administered and ensure respect for the right of all to access quality health care, which will be free at the point of service. People will be able to choose a service provider of preference within a district without being fettered by financial considerations. The ANC is committed to introducing the NHI in the next financial year, and it should not be delayed any further.
HIV and Aids remain a considerable threat in our country and a lot of ground has been lost in the last few years to the extent that a delayed response has a potency to occasion a situation where fatality will be significantly lower than mortality. It is in this light that the ANC commits to working hard towards the target of cutting new HIV and Aids infections by half by 2011 and ensuring that 80% of those infected have access to ARVs. I have no doubt that this commitment requires our budget to be utilised appropriately in order to ensure that we do not fail our people. We commend the stance taken by the Minister and his department to campaign vigorously on testing, knowing your status and for leaders to lead by example - by doing it.
The ANC shall mobilise our people to practice safe sex in partnership with faith-based organisations, FBOs. It shall embark on a moral regeneration campaign to encourage our people to assist in strengthening the moral fibre of society. Working together with other social formations, the ANC shall encourage HIV counselling and treatment, and the destigmatisation of the disease, thus championing efforts to support those who are already attacked by opportunistic infections. Support shall be rendered to hospices and traditional healers who offer support to those who are ill.
We also commend His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini for the bold step he has taken in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal government and the Department of Health to circumcise men and boys to promote prevention. We also commend the Minister for rendering his services free of charge to circumcise those who have not yet been circumcised. We hope that the hon members will also make themselves available to the Minister. [Laughter.]
The African National Congress commends the Department of Health for its approval of the new HIV treatment guidelines which bring South Africa in line with international best practice. It is noticeable that the introduction of the new treatment guidelines ...