Health District

Bohlabela Health District (BHD) is mainly a rural district and, is constituted of two local municipalities, i.e. Bushbuckridge and Maruleng. BHD is situated in the south-eastern part of Limpopo Province and is one of the poorest districts.

This report covers the deliberations during the visit on 30 April 1999 as well as other information gathered during and after the visit. The report aims to assist the district management team to prioritise future activities in financial management and in enhancing their capacity.

The Initiative for Sub-district Support (ISDS) approached the Centre for Health Systems Research & Development to assist in conducting a situation analysis regarding the control of TB in Tshepo. The research was conducted in March 2000.

The Initiative for Sub-district Support (ISDS) approached the Centre for Health Systems Research & Development to assist in conducting a situation analysis regarding the control of TB in Hlanganani. The research was conducted in July 2000.

In the ISDS publication, How to Conduct a Rapid Situation Analysis: A guide for Health Districts in South Africa, there is a short section on mapping the system for supply, distribution and control of drugs and vaccines. However, when planning interventions to improve this crucial aspect of district health operation, it is often necessary to obtain a more in-depth picture. This guide will aid district management teams to plan such a study. It is based on the ISDS experiences in many districts, as well as on other manuals and literature.

This report seeks to add impetus to the process of improving the efficiency of services and access to information at the PHC level by attempting to develop a communication strategy at a sub-district level. It is based on an evaluation of the Impendle/Pholela/Underberg ISDS site and highlights the role of both HealthLink and ISDS within it.

Since Primary Health Care (PHC) has now been accepted as the foundation of health care delivery in South Africa, Health Districts have become the microstructure through which this health care system will be implemented. While it is hoped that the traditionally under-resourced areas of South Africa will benefit most from the new emphasis on PHC, the move to a fully functional district health system is bound to be a slow and retarded process. This is primarily due to the enormity of the task of restructuring a health sector ravaged by the legacy of apartheid development. Current changes taking place in implementing primary health care are still only transitionary. Existing district boundaries are still only of an interim nature, healthcare personnel in key positions within the Health Districts have only been appointed on an interim basis, and educating and driving home the importance of the district health system to health workers and communities in remote areas of the country will take time to yield its desired level of acceptance.

Practical approaches to health promotion within a district.

Principals of developing effective and efficient district health administration.

This Kwik-Skwiz is designed to inform you about one of the most important and often neglected components of the whole health system, namely the service provided by the registry section. The registry provides a strong foundation for all the other health services by storing and distributing vital information in a logical an easily accessible manner. If the registry foundation is weak the entire health building will also be weakened.