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A PLEA TO SADC LEADERS

28/08/2016 05:47:00 The editor

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Sir,

Which sector should governments and investors prioritise to boost the economic development of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)? Few would dispute the strategic importance of infrastructure for a nation’s prosperity. Functional roads, bridges, sewers and public transit systems are critical building blocks of a modern economy.

I would argue that investing in the health sector of a nation is a prerequisite of a successful, thriving and prosperous nation along with education, justice and social services. Investing in health in SADC offers a range of reasons to make it a successful, thriving and prosperous region.
For example, investing in reproductive health helps women and girls avoid unwanted or early pregnancy, unsafe abortions as well as pregnancy related challenges. This means when women stay healthier, they can be productive and have more opportunities for education, training and employment, which in turn benefits entire families, communities and nations.

SADC countries need to invest substantial amounts of money in their health industries, to enable them to cope with the growing needs of the region’s masses, especially people living with HIV/AIDS.
The disease is having a direct impact on other sectors such as agriculture and food security and nutrition for thousands of households, most of which depend heavily on agricultural products such as vegetables and fruits for good health. The United Nations (UN) says more than seven million agricultural workers have died in 25 African countries since 1985, undermining the traditional farm-coping mechanism used during times of drought, which has affected the region recently, further fuelling the AIDS pandemic.

Also, infectious diseases are rampant in the SADC region. Urbanisation and westernised lifestyles have further increased the prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as cancer.
The strong correlation between infectious diseases and cancer has additionally fuelled the incidence rates of various cancers, driving the pharmaceutical industry in key East African countries. For example, many countries have no cancer institutes and only a few oncologists, let alone limited funding.

HIV/AIDS continues to pose major threats to the development of the SADC region. The reality is that today, we have in the region a traumatic situation where either grandparents or children head households. At least 40 per cent of SADC’s 195 million people are trapped in extreme poverty, while HIV/AIDS has become the most critical challenge to development, as it attacks the region’s most productive citizens.

With an HIV prevalence of 19 per cent - the highest in the world - AIDS is having an unprecedented impact on Swaziland, the venue of the 2016 SADC summit. The UN says life expectancy has fallen from 60 years to 31 years, the world’s lowest figure, and one in three children are orphaned or left vulnerable from AIDS. Last year, about 40 per cent of the population needed food aid. This means AIDS has been a contributor to the food shortage.
Families are losing their household heads, the able-bodied men and women. What is left are grandparents who are at that time of their lives when they expect to retire and they often need care themselves but they must again raise a new generation of children. The grandparents are too old to tend the fields and the children are too small.

Malaria is also a big problem in the region.
It is the leading cause of death in Southern Africa after TB and HIV/AIDS.
According to SADC, some 20 million cases of malaria are recorded in the region each year, resulting in 400 000 deaths annually.
This constitutes almost half of the one million malaria fatalities worldwide that occur annually. According to figures, malaria accounts for 30 per cent of outpatient health facility attendances and 40 per cent of inpatient hospital facilities in the region.
In endemic areas, the majority of adults are carriers of the disease and fall sick regularly. The situation is bound to become worse rather than improve. Because of increasing temperatures due to climate change, malaria is on the rise, spreading to areas previously too cold for mosquitoes, health experts warn. For me, health is not a consequence of development but a key factor in achieving development.
A healthy population is more productive and less dependent.

Overall, UN figures say doubling health investment in poor nations to US$119 billion could bring economic benefits of at least US$186 billion annually by 2015 - 2020. SADC countries and companies should also invest in research and development (R&D) in the health sector.
The benefits of R&D investment resulting in job creation, productivity, improved standards of living and economic growth are well documented. Investing in research and development is critical for the ability of our nation, and our region, to remain competitive.

Science foundations have cited increased spending on research and development as a key driver in the nation’s leading role in the global economy, estimating that more than half of a nation’s economic growth can be attributed to advances in investing in health.
Of course there are always challenges accompanying investments.
The challenges include reports of human rights abuses, fears that corruption is rampant in some countries; high returns are not possible; political risk and instability are large; poverty and disease make investment impossible. Every country needs to deal with these challenges.

However, if a zero-tolerance-for-corruption attitude is in place from the very beginning of negotiating an investing relationship, Africa’s infamous corruption can be averted. For example, our company AfroCentric Group is committed to supporting the development of the SADC region.
Through our businesses and our transformation initiatives, we are creating a world of sustainable healthcare through access to quality healthcare.

Our partnership with Swazimed, for the past 36 years, has played an important role, especially in skills development and job creation in Swaziland, where we employ about 100 people.
We are passionate about healthcare and many of our initiatives within the Socio Economic Development space are aimed at promoting health and education of the youth.
Investing in health care is a sure-fire way to lift developing countries out of poverty. Health-care is the best economic investment a government and private local and international investors can make.

Dr Anna Mokgokong
AfroCentric Health and Community Investment
BEDFORDVIEW