Assignment Report: Revitalising Primary Health Care in the Eastern Cape

Abstract

This document reviews progress with the implementation of a new model for Primary Health Care in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It finds the Eastern Cape Department of Health (ECDoH) has embraced global best practice and sought to give effect to the national public healthcare policy (PHC) policy and the inclusion of maternal, child and women's health within this. Some areas of alignment between the national and provincial models still need to be resolved, but in its overall design and detailed implementation the provincial model can be said to be piloting the national PHC policy. The formation of social compacts and the process of community mobilisation around the revitalisation of PHC are unique features of the Eastern Cape regional-PHC programme. ECDoH has undertaken a detailed business planning exercise for each of the pilot sub-districts, which indicate the capital investment, human resources, equipment and systems development needed in each of the pilots. ECDoH has allocated resources and time for the implementation of the regional-PHC programme, and plans to reallocate budget funds to support the core infrastructural and staff requirements of these plans