Progress on the Acceleration of Health Sector HIV Prevention in the WHO African Region

In 2005; the WHO Regional Committee for Africa called upon countries to accelerate HIV prevention and to declare 2006 as the Year of Acceleration of HIV Prevention in the African Region. The strategy document that was developed by WHO Regional Office was adopted by the Region's ministers of health in August 2006. The strategy proposed targets to be met by 2010; in line with universal access targets; in areas of HIV testing and counselling; prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV; prevention and control of sexually-transmitted infections; blood safety; and access to comprehensive prevention; treatment and care. Specifically; it was envisaged that; by 2010; all districts will provide HIV testing and counselling services; 100100 safe blood and blood products will be ensured; at least 80of pregnant women attending antenatal care will access prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services; at least 80of patients with sexually-transmitted infections will access comprehensive STI management; at least 80of people living with HIV/AIDS will have access to comprehensive prevention; treatment and care services; and condom use in high-risk sexual encounters will reach at least 60. This paper describes the progress made in accelerating key health sector HIV prevention interventions in the Region toward these targets and issues that should be taken into consideration for moving forward the HIV prevention agenda in the health sector

Accelerated malaria control towards its elimination in the African Region

Africa is the continent most affected by malaria; accounting for 86of the estimated 247 million malaria episodes and 91of malaria deaths worldwide in 2006. In high endemic countries in the Region; it is estimated that malaria reduces economic growth by an annual average rate of 1.3; mainly as a result of absences from work or school. The poorest people are the most exposed to malaria and its complications owing to their inadequate housing; bad living conditions and limited access to health care. This paper describes ways of accelerating implementation of malaria prevention and control interventions towards eventual elimination. The principal ways forward described are:1 updating malaria policies and strategic plans;2 strengthening national malaria control programmes;3 procuring and supplying quality antimalarial commodities;4 accelerating the delivery of key interventions for universal coverage and impact;5 consolidating malaria control achievements in high endemic countries;6 moving from control to pre-elimination and elimination when appropriate;7 strengthening surveillance; monitoring and evaluation;8 scaling up partnership coordination and alignment as well as resource mobilization; and9 strengthening malaria research

Determinants of health insurance ownership among South African women

Background: Studies conducted in developed countries using economic models show that individual- and household- level variables are important determinants of health insurance ownership. There is however a dearth of such studies in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between health insurance ownership and the demographic, economic and educational characteristics of South African women. Methods: The analysis was based on data from a cross-sectional national household sample derived from the South African Health Inequalities Survey (SANHIS). The study subjects consisted of 3,489 women, aged between 16 and 64 years. It was a non-interventional, qualitative response econometric study. The outcome measure was the probability of a respondent's ownership of a health insurance policy. Results: The χ2 test for goodness of fit indicated satisfactory prediction of the estimated logit model. The coefficients of the covariates for area of residence, income, education, environment rating, age, smoking and marital status were positive, and all statistically significant at p ≤ 0.05. Women who had standard 10 education and above (secondary), high incomes and lived in affluent provinces and permanent accommodations, had a higher likelihood of being insured. Conclusion: Poverty reduction programmes aimed at increasing women's incomes in poor provinces; improving living environment (e.g. potable water supplies, sanitation, electricity and housing) for women in urban informal settlements; enhancing women's access to education; reducing unemployment among women; and increasing effective coverage of family planning services, will empower South African women to reach a higher standard of living and in doing so increase their economic access to health insurance policies and the associated health services