COST OF HEALTH SERVICES IN SOUTH AFRICA EXPECTED TO RISE

The cost of health services in South Africa will rise rapidly over the next few years owing to the impact of HIV/AIDS, according to researchers from the Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division (HEARD) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It is estimated that soon HIV sufferers could account for as much as 60-70% of all hospital expenditure. The researchers are also concerned that the increased workload would place further strain on the country's healthcare system and could cause low morale, absenteeism and 'burnout' among healthcare professionals.

South Africa's health service is already suffering from staff shortages. For example, 67% of health positions were unfilled in Mpumalanga province in 2003. Part of the problem lies with skilled health workers moving abroad, where they can obtain higher salaries and where working conditions are perceived to be superior. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is also taking its toll. Between 1997 and 2001, it is estimated that 13% of deaths among healthcare workers were as a result of HIV/AIDS.

The South African Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) has called for the Health Department to tackle the problems facing the country's health service by training more nurses, and also implementing a community-based treatment system, which would help take the burden off hospitals.