41 / 172
39
HSRC Annual Report 2016/17
This survey examined a nationally representative sample of
2 380 households
and over
9 000 household
members residing in
78 informal settlements
out
of a
targeted 119
.
Impact on the lives of citizens
TeenMomconnect
TeenMomconnect, a project in process, has enabled the HSRC to develop messages which are culturally tailored and
appropriate to the condition that teenage pregnant girls find themselves in. Healthcare workers have explained their
need for additional training in approaching pregnant girls with sensitivity.
HealthRise
Thus far, through the HealthRise intervention, community healthcare workers have been trained in deep rural areas
and underserved patients have been screened and referred for follow-up treatment at their local clinics. Community
healthcare workers are also assisting patients in their homes to comply with taking their medication for hypertension,
diabetes and other illnesses. This project directly impacts underserved patients in the community, those attending clinics,
and the healthcare system. Furthermore, bicycles have been used to reach patients in remote areas – an innovation in
NCD treatment and management.
Lifestyle Disease in Gauteng
This study is consistent with one of the pillars of the Gauteng Transformation, Modernisation and Reindustrialisation
(TMR) Programme, which calls for accelerated social transformation. Since health is of paramount importance to this
pillar, together with other socioeconomic factors that affect people’s well-being, such as education, poverty, type of
dwelling, employment status and level of income, it is necessary to ensure that the health of South Africans is improved
through effective prevention, treatment and care measures which are inter-sectoral in nature.
Malnutrition in Gauteng
This project identified the need for interventions to reduce under- and over-nutrition amongst children in Gauteng.
The outcomes of this study are directly related to the two pillars of the Gauteng City Region TMR Programme, which
call for accelerated social transformation and modernisation of human settlements. By implementing these pillars,
overcrowding, poverty, food security, and nutritional disorders will be addressed.
Evaluation of Informal Settlements
The recently completed project undertook a national baseline assessment of informal settlements targeted for upgrading,
as part of the departments of Human Settlements and Monitoring and Evaluation’s priority projects. It laid the ground
work for measuring future progress, but also clarified the theory of change for the UISP. The findings on the challenges
of access to basic services and potential health risks for marginalised groups were brought to the fore. The findings
have now been used in reviewing the UISP and most provincial governments are now looking at ways of expediting
housing and service delivery in general.
Other contributions
The programme continues to contribute to tobacco control in South Africa by engaging in public dialogue, thus providing
public education around the issues of tobacco and NCD. Moreover, the programme contributed to the Department of
Health work streams, in the preparation of the NHI White Paper that was approved by Cabinet on 21 June 2017. Finally,
PHHSI has an impact on transformation and training, with programme staff actively supervising several PhD candidates.