South Africa Region
Low HALE and Life Expectancy
Low Gap between HALE and Life Expectancy
Final Longevity Progressiveness Ranking: #50
Final Longevity Progressiveness Score: 0.417
Practical Recommendation Summary: South Africa must focus on making sure all healthcare workers have the right knowledge, skills and resources, for example by training the next generation of scientific leaders. It is needed to focus on the management of institutions and care delivery which is at the districts, hospital and clinic level. Government should address inequality, provide betters sanitation facilities, develop agenda to improve public health and decrease burden of chronic diseases.
Practical Recommendations (Full):
● Provide wider immunization coverage. The lack of appropriate vaccinations among children can cause severe problems and spread the broaden epidemics that can lead to the young deaths.
● Expand population coverage. In response to the high levels of out-of-pocket expenditure and its impact on access to health services by the poor, the Government developed the National Health Strategic Plan 2015-2020, aimed at achieving a long and healthy life for all South Africans.
● Tackle environmental problems. Bad environmental conditions contribute to poor health and inequality in healthcare status. Indonesia’s large cities are prone to pollution, and this can exacerbate existing respiratory conditions like asthma. One of the most significant problems is the fact that tap water in Indonesia is not generally safe to drink.
● Contribute towards reduction of the burden of communicable diseases. The government should provide initiatives to Strengthen the prevention and treatment of TB.
● Combat with undernourishment, poverty and socioeconomic inequality. Results of our study shows an evident linkage of health and wealth. Healthy longevity in India should be started from the provision of basic services for all population, including adequate sanitation facilities, improved water sources, effective prevention and treatment. The focus also should be made on both healthcare status of adults and children to create favorable conditions for growth of future generations.
● Support the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, mental health disorders, violence and injuries. Support the development and implementation of policies, strategies and regulations to combat tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, violence and injuries, and other risk factors. Guide and support the preparation and implementation of multi-sectoral, population-wide programmes to promote mental health and prevent mental and behavioural disorders.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
● Major urban areas of South Africa have many excellent private hospitals and practitioners to choose from.
● There are two major pharmacy chains in South Africa, which are complemented by many independent pharmacies. Pharmacists are well-trained and can offer medical advice on minor ailments and injuries.
● Life expectancy continues to rise in South Africa and morbidity is down.
Weaknesses:
● Poor hygiene and poor infection control measures. Most facilities have problems with access to improved water sources and adequate sanitation facilities are the reasons, poor waste management, lack of cleanliness and poor maintenance of grounds and equipment.
● The impact of HIV and AIDS has devastated healthcare systems to the extent that they are unable to cope with the demands of high-quality delivery.
● South Africa has very high private health care costs, putting it out of reach for most people in the country.
Opportunities:
● Institutionalisation of a co-ordinated, comprehensive health workforce planning process in South Africa
● Develop community-oriented primary care
● Improve data use and community engagement. There is a desire for new forms of health information and new forms of engagement (if effectively facilitated). People are willing to break out of conventional ways of thinking and doing when given the opportunity.
● To improve healthcare outcomes there is a room for improvement the quality of care and achieve financial risk protection.
Threats:
● Despite major redistributive reforms, poverty remains endemic.
● Health inequality persist according to income status and education.
● Public hospitals tend to be overcrowded, under-resourced and understaffed, with long waiting times.
● Increasing prevalence of obesity and rising problem with undernourishment
● Burden of behavioral risk factors, including alcohol consumption and smoking
SWOT Conclusions
Strengths Analysis:
● Well-established nurse-based system of public primary healthcare.
● Dubling of public healthcare per capita expenditure on primary healthcare from 2005 to 2015 due to investments in access to HIV and TB services.
● Life expectancy in South Africa has increased dramatically (9.6 years) over a relatively short period of time, rising on average from 51.6 years in 2005 to 62.9 years in 2015. This increase stems from the introduction of antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV, and other major health initiatives.
● The National Development Plan 2030 seeks to implement a national health insurance system, reduction in the relative cost of private medical care and bolstered by greater human capacity and better systems in the public health sector.
Weaknesses Analysis:
● There is a major gap between private and public healthcare in South Africa.
● Public healthcare has many disadvantages such as long wait times, poor quality of care, rushed appointments, old facilities, and poor disease control and prevention practices.
● Private healthcare is expensive, not funded by the government, and there are fewer facilities.
● Low level of use and interpretation of data at the point of service delivery at district level.
● South Africa has the highest level of HIV prevalence in the world, TB remains the leading cause of death and lifestyle diseases are on the rise. 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
● Some of the water-borne diseases that pose a high risk to South Africans include gastroenteritis, cholera, viral hepatitis, typhoid fever, bilharziasis and dysentery.
Low Gap between HALE and Life Expectancy
Final Longevity Progressiveness Ranking: #50
Final Longevity Progressiveness Score: 0.417
Practical Recommendation Summary: South Africa must focus on making sure all healthcare workers have the right knowledge, skills and resources, for example by training the next generation of scientific leaders. It is needed to focus on the management of institutions and care delivery which is at the districts, hospital and clinic level. Government should address inequality, provide betters sanitation facilities, develop agenda to improve public health and decrease burden of chronic diseases.
Practical Recommendations (Full):
● Provide wider immunization coverage. The lack of appropriate vaccinations among children can cause severe problems and spread the broaden epidemics that can lead to the young deaths.
● Expand population coverage. In response to the high levels of out-of-pocket expenditure and its impact on access to health services by the poor, the Government developed the National Health Strategic Plan 2015-2020, aimed at achieving a long and healthy life for all South Africans.
● Tackle environmental problems. Bad environmental conditions contribute to poor health and inequality in healthcare status. Indonesia’s large cities are prone to pollution, and this can exacerbate existing respiratory conditions like asthma. One of the most significant problems is the fact that tap water in Indonesia is not generally safe to drink.
● Contribute towards reduction of the burden of communicable diseases. The government should provide initiatives to Strengthen the prevention and treatment of TB.
● Combat with undernourishment, poverty and socioeconomic inequality. Results of our study shows an evident linkage of health and wealth. Healthy longevity in India should be started from the provision of basic services for all population, including adequate sanitation facilities, improved water sources, effective prevention and treatment. The focus also should be made on both healthcare status of adults and children to create favorable conditions for growth of future generations.
● Support the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, mental health disorders, violence and injuries. Support the development and implementation of policies, strategies and regulations to combat tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, violence and injuries, and other risk factors. Guide and support the preparation and implementation of multi-sectoral, population-wide programmes to promote mental health and prevent mental and behavioural disorders.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
● Major urban areas of South Africa have many excellent private hospitals and practitioners to choose from.
● There are two major pharmacy chains in South Africa, which are complemented by many independent pharmacies. Pharmacists are well-trained and can offer medical advice on minor ailments and injuries.
● Life expectancy continues to rise in South Africa and morbidity is down.
Weaknesses:
● Poor hygiene and poor infection control measures. Most facilities have problems with access to improved water sources and adequate sanitation facilities are the reasons, poor waste management, lack of cleanliness and poor maintenance of grounds and equipment.
● The impact of HIV and AIDS has devastated healthcare systems to the extent that they are unable to cope with the demands of high-quality delivery.
● South Africa has very high private health care costs, putting it out of reach for most people in the country.
Opportunities:
● Institutionalisation of a co-ordinated, comprehensive health workforce planning process in South Africa
● Develop community-oriented primary care
● Improve data use and community engagement. There is a desire for new forms of health information and new forms of engagement (if effectively facilitated). People are willing to break out of conventional ways of thinking and doing when given the opportunity.
● To improve healthcare outcomes there is a room for improvement the quality of care and achieve financial risk protection.
Threats:
● Despite major redistributive reforms, poverty remains endemic.
● Health inequality persist according to income status and education.
● Public hospitals tend to be overcrowded, under-resourced and understaffed, with long waiting times.
● Increasing prevalence of obesity and rising problem with undernourishment
● Burden of behavioral risk factors, including alcohol consumption and smoking
SWOT Conclusions
Strengths Analysis:
● Well-established nurse-based system of public primary healthcare.
● Dubling of public healthcare per capita expenditure on primary healthcare from 2005 to 2015 due to investments in access to HIV and TB services.
● Life expectancy in South Africa has increased dramatically (9.6 years) over a relatively short period of time, rising on average from 51.6 years in 2005 to 62.9 years in 2015. This increase stems from the introduction of antiretroviral treatment for people living with HIV, and other major health initiatives.
● The National Development Plan 2030 seeks to implement a national health insurance system, reduction in the relative cost of private medical care and bolstered by greater human capacity and better systems in the public health sector.
Weaknesses Analysis:
● There is a major gap between private and public healthcare in South Africa.
● Public healthcare has many disadvantages such as long wait times, poor quality of care, rushed appointments, old facilities, and poor disease control and prevention practices.
● Private healthcare is expensive, not funded by the government, and there are fewer facilities.
● Low level of use and interpretation of data at the point of service delivery at district level.
● South Africa has the highest level of HIV prevalence in the world, TB remains the leading cause of death and lifestyle diseases are on the rise. 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
● Some of the water-borne diseases that pose a high risk to South Africans include gastroenteritis, cholera, viral hepatitis, typhoid fever, bilharziasis and dysentery.