International child health: 10 years of democracy in South Africa; the challenges facing children today

Summary 

Decades of discriminatory apartheid policies resulted in marked racial disparity in children's health in South Africa. In 1994, the country's first democratically elected government prioritised maternal and child health. Ten years of democracy have yielded varied success for child health and well-being. Although excellent policies now exist, there has been less success in transforming these into measurable actions and outcomes. The devastating effects of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic have rapidly reversed hard-earned child mortality gains. There have been notable successes in improving access to health care, reducing communicable diseases, implementing new programmes such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy and increasing access to child social support grants. In contrast, other priorities such as neonatal, adolescent, and disability-related health services remain relatively neglected. Arguably, the greatest challenge facing child health in South Africa in the next decade is the orphan crisis as a result of AIDS.

Keywords: Child health, HIV, Mortality, Paediatrics, South Africa