South Africa’s Health Bill A Move To Emulate Across Africa

In such a revolutionary time in Africa, it calls for strategic and constructive developments that ensure to put relevant mechanisms that will advance development in Africa, and South Africa’s National Health Insurance (NHI) bill that seek to give all its citizens, irrespective of races, rich or poor and legal long-term residents access to quality healthcare. South Africa’s lower house of parliament having passed a contentious universal healthcare bill described by the health minister as a “historic” moment for the country, the proposed legislation will now move to the upper house – the National Council of Provinces, for consideration before it is signed into law by the president. It is a move that calls for emulation across Africa in prioritizing citizens’ health in advancing healthcare.

Healthcare system in Africa has always been in emergency state, lack of access to quality health care has caused many deaths across Africa, especially in rural areas where the population could barely access hospitals. This legislation is a welcoming development that sought to break barriers to strive, despite the encumbrances that impasse on the progressive growth in Africa. The healthcare bill is in line with the constitution adopted after the democratic election that brought in the famous Robben Island prisoner – Nelson Mandela as president in 1994 following the demise of apartheid. The bill aims to break barrier on accessibility of quality healthcare service.

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The bill is built on equality, South Africa is considered one of the most unequal societies in the world, with huge wealth gap and 84% of South Africans relying on often poor quality public healthcare, and the bill tends to create uniform healthcare providers – to be funded through general taxes, contribution from those earning above a set amount and monthly contributions from employees. Health Minister, Joe Phaahla, said the vote by the National Assembly which was in favour of the bill with votes of 205 MPs as opposed the minority votes of 125 MPs, was a major milestone and laid a foundation for big reforms. He further said “this is one of the most revolutionary pieces of legislation presented to this house since the dawn of democracy.” He continued “this has led to a situation where the public health system is under tremendous pressure while the private healthcare is over-servicing its clients leading to ever-rising costs to the members of medical schemes while the investors are enjoying huge dividends,” the South African Government News Agency (SANews) reports.

Revolutionary time calls for proactive measures, while South Africa is making positive impacts towards that drive, Africa Union (AU) as a continental bloc will have to foster growth for progressive improvements of African states in advancing development across various sectors of human endeavor in promoting change and enthroning new initiatives that drive towards African dream – a path way to a new Africa. A continuous process for a new crop of African leaders to continue to pass legislations that will bring governance to the people, with that they will actively identify with government in helping to transform Africa.