Problems for health sector

2009-09-17 14:04

Cape Town - Public health spending will top R100bn per annum in the coming year, but problems with governance and accountability are posing "critical challenges" to the sector, a Treasury document released on Wednesday revealed.

According to the Provincial Budgets and Expenditure Review for 2005 to 2012, public health expenditure had increased by more than R5bn a year for the past three years.

The "large burden of disease, especially from HIV and TB" was not being adequately prevented.

"Public health funding will top R100bn within the medium term expenditure framework (METF)," the document read.

"Despite the rising allocations... the sector faces critical challenges, not least in governance and accountability.

"Large increases in expenditure are noted in several areas, such as personnel, but evidence of improved performance is limited."

Kenneth Brown, the head of intergovernmental relations at the Treasury, said the health department needed to "up its game".

"We need to up our game and make faster progress. We are not transferring resources into maximising health outcomes."

- SAPA