The provision (or lack thereof) of public healthcare in South Africa has received a fair amount of attention. Despite the fact that post-1994, there were a number of improvements to the public healthcare sector such as equal access; equal expenditure and reorganisation of health management, amongst others; fifteen years later, it appears that these improvements are overshadowed by the dire state of the sector. One of the reasons for this is the disproportionately large burden of HIV/AIDS on the healthcare system. Another, the general mismanagement of the system. Because of this, Different.org appreciates the need for healthcare projects seeking to fill the gaps which cannot be addressed by the public healthcare system.
The contrast between the public and private healthcare sectors is stark. Approximately 18% of the country’s population (around 7 million people) make use of private healthcare. To service this segment of the population costs the private sector approximately R66-billion. The remainder of the population has to make do with the public healthcare system. For that 82%, R59-billion is spent. You do the maths – and even if maths isn’t your strong point, it’s abundantly clear that the public healthcare system is horribly under-resourced.
This disparity in funding means that the South African public health system stands on the edge of a chasm. At current funding levels, the system is unsustainable, with many medical institutions being stretched and under-resourced. Added to that is the fact that AIDS and other poverty-related diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera are placing a tremendous additional strain on the already-fragile public healthcare system.
We don’t want the large number of obstacles facing the provision of healthcare for all South Africans to dissuade people from trying to make a difference. We believe that every effort does make a difference. For this reason, we’re enabling Different.org users to do their bit by helping one of the partner organisations who are active in the following healthcare-related areas (if you’d like more information, please click on the titles below):
Different.org is partnering with Amcare, an organisation in the south of Gauteng that is pioneering the use of a surgery-free male circumcision device. Male circumcision reduces the chance of HIV transmission by over 60%, thus potentially saving many lives. Amcare offers the procedure completely free of charge and thousands of safe circumcisions have been performed at their facility, the Injabulo Clinic. The multitude of patients means that Amcare has had to expand, and for this reason, they are raising funds to help cover the cost of building an additional ward to serve circumcision patients.
Cancer Treatment for Children:
CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation is the only organisation in South Africa that provides comprehensive countrywide support for children with cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders, and their families. Without the support of CHOC, many children, particularly those from low-income households living far from treatment centre, would not complete the necessary but arduous treatment plan. Together with Different.org, CHOC wants to raise funds for its 8 support-related projects (for cancer patients and their families) located across South Africa.
Improving the sight of disadvantaged communities:
Refilwe and Dibrele Tsa Bana, an organisation providing affordable eye care, have been working together to improve the eyesight of the population of the Joe Slovo community in Lanseria. After eye tests were done on a fraction of the population, it was discovered that 41 of the people tested needed glasses. For the majority of the people tested, this was the first time in their lives that they had ever received any form of professional assistance with their eyesight. Different.org helped by assisting with the fundraising for the 41 pairs of glasses that were needed.
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