As part of ongoing initiatives and programmes to provide integrated people centred health services, South Africa’s Gauteng Department of Health held an inaugural provincial Summit titled Research and Innovation Summit at Birchwood, Johannesburg.  Themed “Evidence and innovation for long and healthy lives: confronting risks and unlocking the potentials”, the summit:

1. Created a learning opportunity that brought together the WHO, academia, administrators, students, community representatives, oversight bodies, lawmakers, health service providers, exhibitors and leaders from across the province and international participants.
2. Promoted and strengthened the state of translational research and health system strengthening as well as patient safety in the Province.
3. Encouraged researchers, practitioners and managers to use research outcomes for evidence based planning and sharing strategies and innovations to improve health systems performance.

These objectives were in line with the priorities made by Gauteng MEC for Health Dr Gwen Ramokgopa in the 2017/18 Budget Vote Address to repurpose and modernise the province’s Department of Health.

The Summit covered various health disciplines such as mental health, integrated management of communicable and non-communicable diseases, innovative approach to health care services (preparing for roll-out of National Health Insurance), improved  health  and well-being of children and woman and the sustainable development goals amongst others.

Drs Savajee Good and Rajesh Narwal facilitating health in all policies workshop

WHO led and conducted a workshop on “health in all policies” (HiAP) facilitated by Dr Savajee Good, Programme Manager for Health Promotion and Determinants of Health (HPD), WHO Regional Office for Africa, and Dr Rajesh Narwal, Health System Advisor in WHO South Africa Country Office.  The session was well attended by participants from academia and the government, and using presentations, discussions and practical exercises covered the following aspects:

1. The changing epidemiology and health challenges in South Africa, the concept of structural determinants of health, and the relevance of HiAP in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) era
2. How to implement the HiAP inter-sectoral action framework at different levels. 
3. Specific guidance on new kind of leadership for HiAP, negotiation, and framing health issues to be relevant in the sustainable development goals

According to the participants’ feedback, the workshop was successful in unpacking the concept of ‘health in all policies’ and asserting its significance to the Gauteng Health Department’s coordination of inter-sectoral action towards the attainment of SDGs particularly SDG 3: Ensure healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.  Discussions, particularly on public policy process and the shared key principles and framework of inter-sectoral action to address the prevention and control of Non-communicable diseases were also said, by participants, to have been useful and enlightening.

Addressing the closing session of the Summit, WHO Representative in South Africa, Dr Rufaro Chatora, shared the importance of understanding all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and how they affect health outcomes.  “Actions undertaken by sectors outside the health sector affect health outcomes.  It is, therefore, important to integrate health and well-being across all the SDGs.  The Goals are interrelated and contribute to the outcomes of each other”.

The WHO workshop facilitators observed a need for further deliberation on the factors impeding inter-sectoral collaboration in Gauteng Province and South Africa in general, and on exploring mechanisms for fostering policy and programme level integration.

In this regard, WHO will support and work collaboratively with the Gauteng Department of Health in developing a knowledge base related to effective application of inter-sectoral action to improve health outcomes.