By: Natasha Archary

Acting President Paul Mashatile has signed the Second Presidential Health Compact (PHC), which had previously been delayed by a week.
The delay was due to opposition to the document’s endorsement of the National Healthcare Insurance (NHI) Act.
Phemelo Motene speaks to Editor-in-Chief at Bekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, Mia Malan about the significance of the signing despite being boycotted by key stakeholders.
The Presidential Health Compact is a Presidential initiative established by President Ramaphosa in 2019.
Described as a framework of cooperation between critical sectors in South Africa that significantly influence good health outcomes, the PHC has 10 pillars of focus.
These include development of human resources; improving access to medicine, vaccines and health products; upgrading infrastructure; private sector engagement; quality healthcare; public sector financial management improvements; governance and leadership; community engagements; information systems and pandemic preparedness.
The second compact follows the 2023 Presidential Health Summit which built on the inaugural summit of 2018 and brought together government, business, labour, civil society, health professionals, unions, service users, statutory councils, academia, and researchers to develop sustainable and inclusive solutions to challenges in the national health system.
It has a monitoring and evaluation component where roles and responsibilities are assigned to a broad range of stakeholders to support health systems strengthening and preparation for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI).
The stakeholders involved in the Presidential Health Compact are integral to supporting the Department of Health in improving the health system.
Listen to the conversation on Point of View:
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