Phaahla talks up NHI at World Health Organization event
Minister of Health Joe Phaahla says the National Health Insurance is South Africa’s answer to the issue of equitable health access for everyone.
Phaahla spoke at a World Health Organization seminar on universal health coverage in Kempton Park on Monday.
While the NHI is yet to be fully implemented in South Africa, Phaahla said similar systems have proven successful in other countries.
“Countries like Brazil, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom have successfully implemented UHC systems.
“This has significantly improved access to health services and health outcomes. Countries with UHC responded better and quicker to emergencies as seen during Covid-19 pandemic.
“The National Health Insurance is South Africa’s chosen route to achieve UHC. The NHI is a health financing system that is designed to pool funds to provide access to quality, affordable personal health services for all South Africans based on their health needs irrespective of their socioeconomic status.”
Phaahla said the poor regulation of the private health sector has a direct impact on the quality of healthcare provided to most South Africans.
“The private sector is mostly funded through individual voluntary contributions to medical aid schemes or health insurance. This way of funding the healthcare system leads to inequality.
“In addition, compared to countries with similar economies to ours, South Africa spends more on health, however health outcomes are not proportional to the amount spent.”
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