The SA NCD Alliance and its NCDs Network met with the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla on 11 December 2014.
The most important outcome is the establishment of a 2 monthly intersectoral NCDs forum for communication and consultation. The purpose of the forum is to inform, involve and seek feedback from stakeholders on NCDs related initiatives. This is seen as the first step towards a national NCDs coordinating mechanism. These functions may, it time be taken over by the National Health/ NCDs Commission (NCDsCom).
The meeting’s objectives were achieved:
- -To show support for the National Department of Health’s (NDoH’s) NCDs Strategic Plan 2013-2014
- -To convey the findings of the research into the national response to NCDs.
- -To ask for NCDs action in terms of resolutions adopted at the SA NCDs Alliance Kopano in November 2014.
- -To offer the SA NCD Alliance’s assistance with NCDs action
Below is a list of resources relating to the meeting:
- –slides
- –NCDs Action agenda document (based on the resolutions adopted at the NCDs Health Systems Strengthening Meeting Nov 14
- –Draft SA NCDs benchmarking report 2014 (version 7 Jan 2015)
- –Images
- –Draft minutes
Other achievement of the meeting were:
- Regular 2 monthly NCDs meetings between NDoH and SA NCD Alliance. This includes provincial departments and other stakeholders. The purpose of this meeting is to improve communication about NCDs action and programmes by all stakeholders.
- Agreement to work together on solutions for NCDs
- NDoH accepted off to use NCDs networks and expertise.
- Agreement for SA NCD Alliance and NCDs Network to contribute to the development NCDsCom documentation.
However, we failed to influence the urgent implementation the long overdue National Health Commission/ NCDs Commission or to have it delinking to the publication of the NHI White Paper. The linkage is seen by the SA NCD Alliance as a mechanism to postponed the NCDsCom implementation and remove it from the NCDs sphere of activity.