Health Care Industries In The New South Africa

While the recent introduction in South Africa of free health care for children under six years old has caused a major strain on the public health services, it demonstrates the political resolve to make things happen of the country's first democratically elected government, the Government of National Unity, according to a new report published by Enigma marketing Research of the UK.

In its election manifesto, the African National Cong-ress had singled out health care as a key area in which substantial imbalances exist, and where restructuring and refinancing are urgently needed to provide better health services for all, according to the study. Since the elections on April 27, the new government, with the ANC's Nkosazana Zuma as Minister of Health, has already started to implement policies based on the ANC's National Health Plan.

The Legacy Of Apartheid Under apartheid, South Africa's health care had developed into a two-tier structure, with the public sector mainly serving the black community, and the private sector mainly serving the white population. The market-related private medical aid system provides services to only 20% of the population but consumes 56% of total health-related expenditures, while the public sector serves 80% of the people yet consumes only 44% of health spending.