South Africa
Diverse in both culture and ecosystems, South Africa enjoys one of the highest standards of living on the continent, but faces challenges from significant income disparities and a very high HIV/AIDS rate.
South Africa’s health care system has made considerable strides against problems such as malaria. However, it still faces significant health challenges, including approximately 4,300,000 people living with HIV/AIDS.
From its office in Pretoria, IntraHealth coordinates the Southern Africa Human Capacity Development Coalition, a regional initiative to improve the delivery of HIV/AIDS services by strengthening the capacity of health workers, policy makers and planners, educational faculties and institutions, communities and families. Currently working in Lesotho and Swaziland, the Coalition collaborates with national leaders from the public and private sectors to assess needs related to the health work force, build partnerships and develop and execute practical and innovative solutions to strengthen HIV/AIDS services.
Donor/Project: USAID (Southern Africa Human Capacity Development Coalition)
Partners: East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) Health Community, the Foundation for Professional Development, the Council of Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa, Management Sciences for Health (MSH), Training Resources Group, Inc. (TRG)
Selected health statistics for South Africa (WHO, accessed July 2007):
Life expectancy, in years (m/f): 50/52
Probability of dying under 5 years of age (per 1000 live births): 68
Adult prevalence of HIV/AIDS: 17.8–24.3%
Maternal mortality, 2003 stats (per 100,000 live births): 230