Chairperson, hon members and guests, access to health care starts at primary health care level, but unfortunately the poor quality of health care services becomes a huge barrier in terms of access.
According to the Department of Health, access to primary health care services has increased but the level of quality has deteriorated drastically. What is interesting is that no research has been conducted to assess the cause of the increase because it might be due to lack of efficient and effective primary health care, shortage of drugs or that people have to visit the facilities twice or thrice until they get medication.
Women are the custodians of family health and they play a critical role in maintaining the health and wellbeing of their families. Therefore, a healthy woman equals a healthy nation.
Women are the pillars of the society, therefore basic health care, family planning, including access to female condoms, and obstetric and emergency services are essential for women. Yet these things remain inaccessible to millions of women in rural and remote areas with no easy access to secondary or tertiary care.
The human papillomavirus, vaccination has to be explored as well. In South Africa, 70% of cervical cancer cases in girls can be prevented through this vaccination, but the cost makes it inaccessible. This is where we as parliamentarians come in to revisit and scrutinise the budgets.
We would like to thank organisations like the Centre for the Aids Programme of Research in South Africa, Caprisa, that are busy doing research on microbicides to respond to the urgent need for HIV and STI prevention methods for women.
According to the Global Health Council, maternal mortality and maternal conditions are leading causes of death and disability among women.
Every year about 10 million women globally endure life-threatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth. In sub-Saharan Africa 61% of adults living with HIV/Aids are women.
Early and unwanted childbearing, HIV, STIs, pregnancy-related illnesses and deaths account for a significant proportion of the burden of illnesses experienced by women, especially the poor. Nearly 50% of maternal deaths are preventable through timely prenatal and postnatal care, skilled birth attendance during delivery and the availability of emergency care to deal with complications.
Children under the age of 15 years account for one in every 6 Aids-related deaths in the world. We need to take care of the overall health of our children to ensure a better future and a healthy nation. According to Child Gauge in 2002, the Department of Health set for itself 14 child health goals, but to date, a decade after the target deadline, they have only achieved one goal.
Children who are subjected to illness and lack of access to adequate health services are at risk of shortened lifespans, poor physical and mental health and educational problems, including dropping out. We have only four years left to realising the Millennium Development Goals, but unfortunately our country's rate of maternal and child mortality has doubled since 1990. Therefore, it is a huge concern for us as to whether we will meet this target.
No woman should die giving birth to a child and no child should die due to unnecessary medical negligence. So far the government has failed the women and children of this country. The government has missed a big opportunity in addressing maternal and child mortality by, firstly, not putting in place quality assurance measures for MDGs earlier; secondly, by not conducting an audit to generate comprehensive information on primary health care infrastructure and services; and further by not monitoring and evaluating the use of resources versus the delivery of the Permanent Health Company, PHC, package since 1997.
This would have ensured that there would be no suboptimal implementation of interventions and, in turn, have prevented most if not all avoidable deaths. We welcome the recent establishment of the new office of health standards compliance and the recent commitment by the Department of Health to finally conduct the long overdue audit commissioned in 2007-08.
The Department of Health has not been performing adequately since the inception of democracy in SA, and this has not only impacted negatively on the health of women and children, but also on the socioeconomic development of our country. In order for this Parliament to fulfil its functions with regard to addressing these key challenges, we need to strengthen research capacity, advocate for the upliftment of the socioeconomic conditions women and children are living under because poverty compromises women and children ... Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]