The Health Systems Trust is pleased to announce the release of the South African Health Review 2002 today, 24th March 2003. This year's review focuses on progress made in restructuring the South African health system and provides an annual and longer - term review of the implementation of South African health policies. This is the eighth year running that the Health Systems Trust has produced this comprehensive, authoritative and independent Review of the South African Health System, with contributions from a number of the country's leading experts in different health fields. Twenty one chapters are grouped into the following four themes: framework for transformation, human resources, priority programmes and support systems. The Review acts as a barometer for assessing the transformation processes and their impact on provision of equitable health care to all South Africans, and provides the most recent data on health status and health services, key opinions, and current thinking in Health in SA - all condensed in one publication. This key resource will be of use to health managers and decision makers, researchers, academics, students, parliamentarians and journalists both in South Africa and overseas. The first six chapters deal with the framework and systems central to transformation. These include legislation, health care financing, development of the district health system and integration of health care services into local government, and environmental health. Chapters 7 to 10, discuss issues pertinent to human resources development, including implementation of Community Service for Health Professionals, the deployment of community based health workers in dealing with essential health and social issues, and the experiences of primary health care facility workers. Chapters 11 to 17 discuss some of the key programmes for the management of major health challenges in the country. The Review looks at the impact of HIV/AIDS on households, the response of the private sector to the epidemic, the debate around accessibility to antiretrovirals in the public sector, the management of sexually transmitted infections, progress on curbing the spread of tuberculosis, implementation of the nutrition policy, and also looks at TB and malaria in the Southern Africa Development Community. Chapters 18 to 21 focus on support systems essential for the delivery, planning, monitoring and evaluation of health care services. Issues addressed include; transport, public health data sources, disease registries and health and related indicators. To view or download the contents of the South African Health Review 2002 (as pdf) visit: http://www.hst.org.za/sahr/2002/ To order a book or CD, fill in the publication request form on : http://www.hst.org.za/pubform.asp or email your order to webmaster@hst.org.za. Please include full postal details. The prices are as follows: South Africa: Book - R300.00 and CD - R80.00 International: Book - $90.00 and CD - $25.00 For more information about this and previous Reviews, contact: Petrida Ijumba on +27 31 3072954 (tel.), +27 31 3040775 (fax) and email: petrida@hst.org.za or visit the HST website at www.hst.org.za/sahr/ ------------------------------------------------------------------ The Health Systems Trust (HST) is a dynamic independent non-government organisation established in 1992 to support health reform in South Africa. It is recognised as a leading organisation in supporting and commissioning research to foster health systems development and equity. HST is active as * a leading clearinghouse for information related to health care in South Africa * a major resource for capacity-building in health management and research * an active facilitator of policy and district health service development. HST receives funding from a range of organisations including the National Department of Health, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (USA), the Commission of the European Union, the Department for International Development (UK), the Rockefeller Foundation, Sida, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Ireland Aid, UNICEF and the Ford Foundation.