|
|
|
Expert Group Meeting on Completing The Fertility Transition
|
|
|
3. Policy and interventions
|
| |
3.1. The South African Population Policy
The South African Population Policy that was adopted by the 1994 democratic government has shifted from family planning methods. It places population within the development paradigm, which was advocated by the ICPD in 1994. The focus is to fully integrate population concerns into all development strategies, planning, decision making and resource allocation, with the goal of meeting the needs and improving the quality of life of the present and future generations.
Focus is especially placed on the status of women, specifically African and rural women, adolescent reproductive health and questions around poverty. The aim is to address these problems in an integrated manner.
The major thrust of the policy therefore is to ensure that birth, deaths and migration factors are taken into account with all planning. As such a survey for policy implementation was conducted during 2000. The results of the survey shows that most government departments supported the strategies proposed in the policy and that there is a shift in policy planning. A programme to strengthen population development system in government has been developed. This programme is a joint effort between Social Development, Statistics South Africa, (Government Communications Information System (GCIS) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
3.2. Flagship programme for women and children under five
The Department of Social Development is concerned with the intersecting needs of women and children. In order to demonstrate its move to new priorities in developmental social welfare, a Flagship Programme entitled "Developmental Programmes for Unemployed Women with Children Under Five Years" has been launch. The idea is to develop and/or support developmental programmes that create self-reliance. Objectives include building women's capacity for economic independence and empowerment, as well as providing developmentally appropriate education for children aged 0-5 years old. Funding was made available for pilot programmes within each of the nine provinces and1448 women participated. In seven provinces the programme reached 1 323 children. The Flagship programme has also provided access to early childhood development (ECD) opportunities. The children are both placed in existing ECD centre or some of the women have been trained and they care for children at the project site.
Thus the main aim of the Flagship Programme is to reduce poverty through providing income-generating activities to women. The specific objectives are: to promote human capacity, ensure self-reliance and well-being among its target population, develop and support unemployed women and their children under five years and facilitate economic, educational and training opportunities for women and their children so that they can provide for the basic needs of their families, thereby breaking the cycle of vulnerability and poverty as well as dependence on the state.
3.3. Reproductive Health
- National Adolescent Friendly Clinic Initiative (NAFCI)
The NAFCI is a five-year project started in September 1999 and expected to be completed in 2004. It is led by the Reproductive Health Research Unit (RHRU) of the University of the Witwatersrand, which is based at the Chris Hani/Baragwanath Hospital. The project is a comprehensive service performance and quality improvement accreditation programme. Its initiatives include:
- expanding access to youth-friendly health services including HIV and STD prevention, reproductive health information to young people,
- HIV/AIDS testing and counselling, and
- Provision of care and support services
As an integral component of Love Life, NAFCI will contribute to Love Life's goal to effect positive behaviour change among young South Africans to reduce teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.
The main objective is to contribute to making health care facilities more accessible and acceptable to adolescents.
It also aims:
- To promote a holistic approach to the management of adolescent health needs by health care providers,
- To set national norms and standards for adolescent health care in clinics throughout the country, and
- To promote an appropriate clinic environment for the provision of adolescent health services.
3.4. Water management
South Africa's experiences and lessons learned in implementing population, environment and development policies has demonstrated that community based initiatives, which resonate with people's basic needs, can make a huge difference among poor communities. A community-based environmental and reproductive health programme in two rural districts was initiated in 1998 by the government, together with UNFPA, the Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa and the Working for Water Programme. What is notable about the programme is the overt linkage of population interventions to an environment and development programme with beneficial effects to the communities through the provision of clean water, job creation and promotion of reproductive health information and services, including HIV/AIDS. The project, which was undertaken to restore original water flows to rivers and streams, created many jobs, especially for women, and then became linked to the provision of project based reproductive health services.
3.5. Food Security
The Department of Health initiated the Integrated Nutritional Programme (INP) in 1995 to address and prevent malnutrition. A process of assessment, analysis and action (Triple A Cycle) is followed to assess the situation, analyse the causes of the problem and to implement services and interventions to address the problem. The mix of services and interventions depends on the findings of the assessment and analysis as well as the availability of resources. It usually combines direct and indirect nutrition interventions and includes service delivery as well as behaviour change aspects.
Examples of direct nutrition interventions include nutrition education and promotion; micronutrient supplementation; food fortification; and disease-specific nutrition counselling and support. Indirect nutrition interventions could include parasite control; steps to improve access to food; provision of health care services; and provision of clean safe water.
The Department of Health operates at national level with a Directorate for Nutrition and provincial level with 9 Sub-directorates/divisions. Structures for managing the INP at regional, district and community levels also exist and are supported by various task teams, and committees.
To effectively reduce malnutrition it is important to collaborate with sectors within the health department as well as other departments. The INP cooperates with a number or sectors which include the Departments of Education, Agriculture, Welfare and Public works; universities and technikons; research institutions; NGO's, CBO's, community project committees; professional associations, consumer organisations, industry and international agencies.
3.6. Integrated Plan of Children Affected and Infected with AIDS
This is a joint project of the depts of Health, Social Development, Education and Agriculture. The aim is to make interventions around HIV/AIDS. The programme has four components namely:
- Life Skills
- Home Community Based Care and Support
- Voluntary Counselling and testing
- Community Outreach
Although the focus states only children it actually focuses on the most vulnerable sectors of society namely women, children and the aged. Life skills are focussing on sexuality in education as well as out of school youth.
3.7. National Youth Commission
This programme is aimed at involving youth in the reconstruction and development of our country. Services of young people are employed in order to educate other young people about dangers of unprotected sex. A sub-programme the Young Positive Living Ambassadors is an HIV/AIDS programme aimed at employing the services of young people to educate other young people about the danger of unprotected sex, especially HIV/AIDS.
|
|
Related documents