Pretoria - Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has launched a partnership framework to regulate funds from donors, development partners and ambassadors to ensure they are channeled to government's priority areas.
The minister met with donors, development partners and ambassadors earlier today to share with them how foreign aid is used in funding health programmes in South Africa.
During the meeting, the minister launched the partnership framework document aimed at regulating cooperation between the department and its development partners. The document addresses the delicate issue of aid alignment to ensure that aid is linked with the country's health priorities.
Dr Motsoaledi said in the past, donors had chosen programmes to fund regardless of whether such programmes were aligned with the country's priorities. However, with the framework in place, the department will ensure that donor funds will be channeled to areas where there is the most need.
The framework was also necessitated by the fact that South Africa is spending more money on health than many countries but getting poorer results. "The framework seeks to achieve alignment, harmony between partners so that resources are channeled to health priorities," Dr Motsoaledi said.
He added that government and its partners must work towards a common goal.
SA's donor partners have commended the country for its efforts and initiatives towards improving the country's health system and recommitted themselves to continuing to assist the country.
British High Commissioner Dr Nicola Brewer said the health service delivery agreements had helped to make South Africa's priorities clearer - like the department's target to protect lives of mothers during birth. "We will be with you every step of the way to help you to achieve this," said Dr Nicola.
US Ambassador Donald Gips also congratulated the department for the development of a framework, noting the need to be 'smarter' to improve the control of the spread of HIV and Aids. "We need to change the way we do things, like find a ways to cut the cost of treating people like South Africa's new ARV procurement tender, which will free resources," said Gips.
Last year, Dr Motsoaledi signed the health Service Delivery Agreement, outlining a set of four health priorities on which the health department has to deliver.
The priorities include increasing life expectancy, decreasing maternal and child mortality, combating HIV and Aids and decreasing the burden of diseases, and strengthening the country's health system.
