Hon Chairperson, hon Minister of Science and Technology, hon members, distinguished guests, today, as we vote on the budget of the Department of Science and Technology, let us take a moment to reflect and acknowledge our medical scientists and the role played by the Department of Science and Technology in advancing health research.
The past year was very fruitful with regard to the investment of the department in health innovation. Not only was Prof Kelly Chibale able to announce the first South African discovery of a malaria drug candidate, but this was also followed by the announcement of a close partnership with the pharmaceutical industry that will boost drug discovery and development capacities in Africa.
South Africa is suffering from a quadruple burden, namely that of HIV and TB; maternal and child mortality; noncommunicable disease; and violent injuries and trauma. This disease burden is mostly fuelled by poverty and disempowerment. HIV and Aids are still the main problems, but noncommunicable diseases are rapidly increasing due to lifestyle changes associated with urbanisation and diet changes, as well as socioeconomic, cultural and environmental factors. Innovative and creative ways to deal with all four contributors of the burden of disease and mortality are necessary to address this. It is also essential that we develop partnerships between government, the science community and industry.
The Department of Science and Technology should be congratulated on the development of a health research partnership model that brings together individual researchers from various institutions in the country into formal collaborative relationships dedicated to the pursuit of a shared health research and development agenda.
The department currently supports research and development collaborative initiatives aimed at tackling diseases such as HIV/Aids, TB, malaria and noncommunicable diseases.
Nangona iSifo sePhepha isesona sifo sinobungozi esosulelayo, kukho ukunqongophala kwezixhobo ezifanelekileyo zokuthintela esi sifo, ingakumbi kumazwe amaninzi asaphuhlayo. Abaphandi boMzantsi Afrika bayinxalenye yokuphanda ngamachiza. Le nkqubo isekuvavanyo kodwa iziphumo ziyakhuthaza ukuba ukufunyanwa kwechiza lokunyanga iSifo sePhepha eMzantsi Afrika sekumbovu. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[Although TB is the most dangerous communicable disease, there is a shortage of appropriate tools for its prevention, particularly in many developing countries. South African researchers are parties of medical research. These efforts are still in the trial phase but the results are encouraging, and they show that finding a treatment for TB in South Africa is imminent.]
South Africa is seen as a good site to conduct clinical studies and hence a number of clinical trials of HIV/Aids and TB preventive and treatment tools are being conducted in the country. It is essential that South Africa ensures that we actually benefit from these clinical trials. With regard to research on HIV and Aids, the project funded by the Department of Science and Technology ensures that South African researchers are acknowledged internationally. The ongoing effort to confirm the results of the tenofovir microbicide gel should be commended.
Young women still bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic and we have to find solutions that will protect these young lives. We are cautiously optimistic that the results of the FACT study and the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in SA, Caprisa, 008 study will be able to provide some protection. In 2012, researchers at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Caprisa announced a ground-breaking discovery that provides an important new approach that could prove useful in making an Aids vaccine. The researchers discovered a unique feature of HIV that enables infected people to make antibodies that are able to kill a wide range of HIV strains. These broadly neutralising antibodies are considered to be key in developing an Aids vaccine. A noncommunicable disease research and innovation initiative has been established to address the increasing problem of diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The key component of the department's effort with regard to the project mentioned above is aligned to collaboration with public-private partnerships dedicated to escalating drug discovery, vaccine and diagnostics research and development. As such, the department is adopting an innovative and collaborative approach to the development of new medicines or vaccines and diagnostics whereby it looks to developing strategic partnerships with other government departments.
The Department of Science and Technology, in support of the development of the National Health Insurance, and the CSIR are assisting with the infrastructure unit system support project in acquiring a primary health care model. The organisation is also developing, on behalf of the national Department of Health, a national normative standards framework for e- health. The organisation has developed and implemented mobile technologies to support the re-engineered primary health care model.
The focus of the 2012 survey has been expanded to include a wide range of health information; for instance, the health of infants and mother and child health. It also included emerging interventions such as male circumcision, issues around psychological health and behavioural risks; for example, alcohol abuse and drug use.
As stated in the National Development Plan, science and technology should be leveraged to solve some of the biggest challenges in education and health. I have highlighted some cases, particularly in health. The ANC resolved at its 53rd National Conference that the ANC should prioritise science and technology policy development implementation and monitoring capacity. Also, the principle of mainstreaming science, technology and innovation in the ANC-led government and the private sector should be adopted. The ANC supports this Budget Vote. [Applause.]