sahr2001 - Health Systems Trust

Research. Additional socio-economic data were obtained from the South
African Demographic and Health Surveys, the most recent report available
being that for the 1998 survey. This was also the key source for health status
indicators. In some areas, older data remain the only source, such as the
1994 Development Bank of South Africa report on the (then) new nine
provinces. More recent sources include the 1999 CASE Disability Survey,
the Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths, the 2000 survey on perinatal
care, the 1999 National Food Consumption Survey, the 2000 iodine deficiency
disorder survey and the publication of the Reproductive Rights Alliance on
termination of pregnancy. Regular sources include the annual antenatal HIV
prevalence survey and the infectious diseases data issued by the Department
of Health. Initial data from the District Health Information Systems database,
albeit aggregated to provincial level, have also been included where possible.
Since the last edition of the Health Review there has been some progress
made with the National Health Accounts project, with reports now available
for both public and private sectors. Some financial information has also been
added from the 2001 Intergovernmental Fiscal Review. The private sector
remains under-reported in many ways, but the reports of the Council for
Medical Schemes carry increasingly accessible data. Public sector personnel
data continue to be difficult to access, with the Personnel Administration
system (PERSAL) the only source. A new addition to the Department of
Health’s electronic capacity is the Pharmaceutical Management Information
System (PharMIS). Limited data from that source have been collated.
One further extension this year is the inclusion of international comparative
data for a selection of middle-income countries with comparable gross national
incomes per capita. International comparative data is available from a range
of sources, including the World Health Organisation, World Bank and the
United Nations Development Programme. Selected data from the Human
Development Report 2001 and its South African equivalent have been used.
The World Population Data Sheet issued by the Population Reference Bureau
is also useful.
Organisation of Health Indicator Data in this Health Review:
◆ Major sections (including Demographic Indicators, Socio-Economic
Indicators, Health Status Indicators and Health Service Indicators) are
presented by province and where possible by population group
◆ Some limited data on drug management and supply in the public sector
◆ International data for a set of selected indicators.
The indicators presented in the Health Review represent an output from an
ongoing project. An electronic repository of such data has been created and
will be maintained by the Health Systems Trust. Additional information,
notes and details on sources can be accessed on that site (http://
www.hst.org.za/indic/).
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