Renewed Effort Needed To Reduce Infant Deaths

MEDIA STATEMENT ISSUED BY:
DR RUTH RABINOWITZ MP
IFP SPOKESPERSON ON HEALTH

November 23, 2006

Dr Ruth Rabinowitz MP, the Inkatha Freedom Party's Spokesperson on Health, today said that the lack of progress made in reducing South Africa's newborn death rate in the last 10 years is an indictment on our health services.

"The IFP has always argued that it is not lack of resources that hampers our progress in this regard, but our failure to direct our resources correctly.

"When referring to the Millennium Development Goals the discussion is either about increasing aid to the poor or good governance. Very little emphasis is placed on capacity building from the bottom up. The problems of health delivery in South Africa and most parts of Africa are largely due to the fact that national leaders control service delivery and funding distribution.

In conclusion Dr Rabinowitz said that South Africa needed to revise its focus if it is to reduce infant death rates.

"To achieve the Millennium Development Goals, South Africa should embark on an all out effort to strengthen Departments at local level. Only in this way can people be reached. Most infant deaths can be prevented, as there are often simple solutions to diseases - such as infant diarrhoea - that are life-threatening."


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr Ruth Rabinowitz MP (MB BCh)
JHB: Tel: 011 802 1826, Fax: 011 804 4221
C.T: Tel: 021 403 3061, Fax: 021 403 3334
Cell: 082 579 3698

Liezl van der Merwe: 083 611 7470