Health Minister signs ground breaking Social Compact with leading healthcare companies

PRETORIA – Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi earlier today signed a ground breaking Social Compact with the CEO’s of some of the leading Healthcare Companies in South Africa, symbolising an acceptance that no single sector, whether it be the public or private sector, can individually or successfully confront the immense health challenges.

The Compact, which will be executed through the newly established Fund, called the SAJPHEF (SA Joint Public Health Enhancement Fund) will aim to strengthen much needed collaboration between the private and public sectors, through the co-operation of jointly selected health initiatives, which will be funded through the SAJPHEF. Each participating private sector Health company will make a fixed annual contribution into the Fund in order to fund these initiatives. Initiatives are likely to focus on Healthcare Professionals resource expansion, such as the training of additional Doctors, particularly students from resource constraints communities, creating further capacity to train additional Healthcare professionals, building further management capacity and interventions in HIV/AIDS and TB.

 Minister Motsoaledi said that “The Social Compact is set to herald a new standard for collaboration between the public and private sectors. This model will enable the joint efforts of the private and public sectors to make a severe dent into the quadruple burden of disease. It is my hope that this Compact will propel us on a trajectory of a greater and deeper cooperation, not withstanding, any differences we might have at times and on specific issues.”

The Minister went on to add that, “I wish to congratulate and commend the 23 companies that have committed to the compact today, not only will they add tremendous value to addressing the challenges that face our Healthcare system, but equally, through these 23 companies we will establish a forum through which the Department can dialogue with the private sector on a structured and regular basis. This dialogue and engagement will strengthen our Healthcare system and boost confidence and build bridges between the private and public sector”.

 It is noteworthy that this list of 23 Private Sector participating companies includes a number of the leading and largest Healthcare companies in South Africa, representing 7 Sectors, namely the Hospital, Pharmaceutical, Medical Fund Administrator, Medical Device and Diagnostic, Retail and Consumer, Pharmacy Benefit Management and Healthcare Distribution. In the case of each Sector, while the leading company by value and volume share has signed up, it is the Minister’s hope that the launch would inspire others to join. Membership to the Social Compact and the Public Health Enhancement Fund remains open to those companies in the Health Sector which are still not signatories as of today. 

Participating signatory companies include Abbott, Alcon Labs, Aspen Pharmacare Holdings, Bausch + Lomb, Clicks Holdings, Clinix Health Group, Discovery Holdings, Dischem, Galderma, Joint Medical Holdings, Life Healthcare, Litha Healthcare, Medi-Clinic, Mediscor, Medscheme, Netcare, Novo-Nordisk, Roche, United Pharmaceutical Distributors (UPD), Servier Labs.