Nature

Contains a huge collection of nutrition links oriented towards the health professional.

The Health Systems Trust (HST) released its latest edition of the District Health Barometer on the 6th of July at the HISA conference, Emperors Palace, Gauteng. The publication illustrates important aspects of the health system at district level through the analysis of a selected range of health indicators from which comparisons among districts and provinces can be made. Data feeding into the report are drawn from a range of sources including the national Department of Health, Statistics SA, the TB register and the national Treasury. It is the only publication of its kind in South Africa that makes available comparative data for the purpose of measuring and tracking progress in primary health care at the district level.

The challenge facing the South African health system is to be part of a comprehensive programme to redress social and econoniic injustices, and to ensure that emphasis Is placed on health and not just on medical care.

Three committees dealing with maternal mortality, perinatal mortality and infant mortality were launched at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on Monday by Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. The improvement of the health of women and children has always been a priority in the healthcare planning of our democratic government, Tshabalala-Msimang said. While the perinatal and infant mortality committees are new, the maternal mortality committee, already in existence, has new members, the minister said.

The people of Ghana are to benefit from two new health sector projects following the World Bank's approval of assistance totalling 40 million, last week.

A team of international health experts this week warned the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria: fund the salaries of health workers or else risk a situation in which medicines for these three diseases are made available in poor countries but there are no health professionals to deliver them.

The Regional network for equity in health in east and southern Africa (EQUINET) is calling for expressions of interest from researchers based in countries within East and Southern Africa (ESA) to undertake country level research into distribution of the costs and benefits of health worker migration.

Thirty-one (31) health systems leaders from all regions of the world have agreed to launch a Health System Action Network (HSAN) to increase understanding at both the global and country level of the importance of strong health systems to achieve urgent health priorities. HSAN will share what is known across countries by linking health systems leaders through a global network and will provide input to global and donor initiatives so that programmes best serve country priorities.