South Africa: A dose of strong medicine?

Cheaper drugs, certificates of need, social health insurance? Has government made sudden and major shifts in health policy? From the African National Congress’ perspective it is perhaps timely in a year that we celebrate the 10th anniversary of democracy and with a general election only a few months away, that three critical pieces of health legislation are about to be signed into law or are being drafted for future legislation. The three pieces include Regulations relating to a Transparent Pricing System for Medicines and Scheduled Substances (Medicines and Related Substances Act of 1997), Social Health Insurance (Medical Schemes Act of 1998) and the Certificate of Need (National Health Bill – still to be signed into law by the President).