Ministers announce health agreement

2010-10-22 14:16

Pretoria – Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, other ministers and provincial health MECs want South Africans to live long and healthy lives.

On Friday they signed the delivery agreement with President Jacob Zuma for government's "Outcome 2".

The January 2010 Cabinet Lekgotla adopted 12 Outcomes for implementation by the government in the medium-term. Outcome 2 is "a long and healthy life for all South Africans".

Other ministers who signed the agreement were Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti, Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica, Social Development Minister Edna Molewa and Correctional Services Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula.

Other departments expected to be party to the agreement are basic and higher education, public service and agriculture.

Asked why Local Government Minister Sicelo Shiceka had not signed the agreement, Motsoaledi said: "What we are doing here, we are identifying immediate things that are needed here and there. The issue of primary care in the clinics, it is one area that we are still discussing until we reach finality."

Motsoaledi said the emphasis needed to be on primary health, which would be preventative, rather than curative.

- SAPA