Pretoria - Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and four other Cabinet ministers have co-signed an agreement committing to ensuring a healthy life for all South Africans.
Motsoaledi, and the Ministers of Social Development Edna Molewa, Water and Environmental Affairs Buyelwa Sonjica, Correctional Services Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula as well as Rural Development and Land Reform Gugile Nkwinti have committed to working together to achieve Outcome 2: A Long and Healthy Life for all South Africans.
The Department of Health has identified four key output areas for the outcome aimed at increasing life expectancy, decreasing maternal and child mortality, combating HIV and AIDS and decreasing the burden of diseases from tuberculosis and strengthening health system effectiveness.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Motsoaledi said health was determined by factors such as poverty, lack of clean potable water, stress, lack of safety at homes and on the road, air pollution, drugs and alcohol abuse leading to domestic violence, sexual indiscretion, child neglect and moral degeneration violence against women and children as well as interpersonal violence.
These issues, he noted, have in the past been addressed in silos and little attention has been given to common shared risks factors, therefore integration will be a major focus in the approach to implement the agreement.
"An integrated approach can add value to what is currently being done to address these issues - it can lead to greater health benefits and can be more efficient and effective use of limited resources. The department will engage with key partners within and outside government to ensure that it effectively implements the four outputs of the Negotiated Service Delivery Agreement 2010 - 2014," said Dr Motsoaledi.
Nkwinti said: "We are in it and we will do the best we can to achieve the outcomes."
Molewa said that her department was committed to making things happen and determined to see Africa succeed.
"The outcome from health will be successful because we will be side by side working together, we will work much harder to ensure that we have healthy South Africa, we will ensure that nobody will come to the health institutions suffering from substance abuse and poverty," Molewa promised.
Sonjica also committed her department to contributing towards achieving the outcomes by ensuring that all health institutions have clean potable water.
"Our role is very significant for you [Health Department] to achieve this outcome, by 2015 we will have achieved the target," Sonjica said, adding that it was not only about quality of water but doubling effort to meet the international standard.
Speaking to Motsoaledi, Sonjica said: "If you see that we are not doing our work, whisper in my ear and remind me that we have made a commitment."
The delivery agreement forms part of the 12 Outcomes approved by Cabinet earlier this year to improve performance and service delivery.
