Deputy Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla has called on Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries to move past statements of support and put practical plans in place to protect health in the region.
He spoke at a gala dinner in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The dinner was held for SADC Ministers of Health and Ministers Responsible for HIV and AIDS ahead of their regional meeting, according to SAnews.
“The strength of our region has always rested on this understanding that we are stronger together,” Phaahla said.
The joint meeting of SADC health ministers and ministers responsible for HIV and AIDS started on Monday. Phaahla said shared problems in the region need shared answers, not separate national plans.
He asked the ministers to work on stronger health systems, safer supply chains for medicine and plans to deal with health threats caused by climate change.
Phaahla said the COVID-19 pandemic showed why countries must work together in practical ways. He named joint buying of medicines, making medicine locally and tracking disease as areas for joint work.
“We will not succeed by competing against each other, but we must look at the strengths of each of our countries as a region [and] also continental,” he said.
He said countries with limited money could each focus on different tasks. One country might be better at checking water, while another might be stronger at watching the environment, he said.
The Deputy Minister said SADC countries face many pressures at the same time. He listed HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as diseases that remain a big problem.
He also spoke about climate change, food shortages, floods and drought. “This climate change is extreme. One time we’re worried about floods, the next time we’re worried about the drought,” Phaahla said.
He said the El Nino drought had left some communities struggling to find water.
Phaahla warned that money for health is under strain around the world. “Development assistance is under pressure. Competition for resources is intensified,” he said.
He said supply chains are still weak, and the cost of building strong health systems is going up. He linked part of this to rising fuel prices.
Phaahla asked the health leaders to drop a “business as usual” approach during their talks. He said regional problems must be handled at home and across the region at the same time.
“We cannot speak of health security while remaining dependent on fragile supply chains. And we cannot aspire to universal health coverage if the financing of essential services remains uncertain and unsustainable,” he said.
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.